Airport | Aviation Security

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GSN 2011 Awards Dinner Winners and Sponsors: Cosmo Perrone, Principle, Cosmo Perrone & Associates and former Security Director, Port of Long Beach, CA:
The Port of Long Beach, CA, was named Winner of GSN’s 2011 award for “Most Notable Maritime/Port Security Program”. Cosmo Perrone, Director of Security for the Port from 2006 to 2011, tells GSN about...
GSN Awards Dinner Winners and Sponsors Interviews: Scott Paul, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Sarix Line, Pelco by Schneider Electric:
Scott Paul describes Pelco by Schneider Electric – 2011 winner in “Best Network IP Cameras” -- as a leading provider of video surveillance equipment sold around the world. Products range from analog...
GSN 2011 Awards Dinner Winners and Sponsors Interviews: Bill Eckerd, Director of Sales for Strategic Account Group, Verint Video Solutions
Verint Video Solutions was a 2011 Winner of “Best Intelligent Video Surveillance Solution” for its Nextiva Physical Security Information Management System (PSIM). According to Bill Eckerd, the PSIM...
GSN 2011 Awards Winners and Sponsor Interviews: Tom Harada, Managing Director, Security Systems, Pentax Ricoh Imaging of America
A few moments after Pentax Ricoh accepted its 2001 Award for “Best Specialized CCTV Lens,” Tom Harada sat down with GSN to talk about his engineers’ strategy of getting back to the basics in optical...

News

Pre Check program to expand to busiest U.S. airports during 2012
Wed, 2012-02-08 10:55 AM

Boston Logan
The TSA’s trusted traveler Pre Check program will expand to dozens more airports around the country in the coming months, including some of the busiest, such as Boston’s Logan, New York’s JFK and...
Senate homeland security leader lambastes security privatization measure in FAA bill
Wed, 2012-02-08 09:32 AM

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT)
A provision in the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill approved by Congress on Feb. 7, which would allow airports to privatize their security screeners and essentially opt-out of TSA...
Newly-permanent Global Entry program can cut wait times by 70 percent, says CBP
Mon, 2012-02-06 01:50 PM
Pleased with the results of its pilot program, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has decided to establish its Global Entry trusted traveler program as a permanent program. Global Entry allows...
Live cannonball in luggage forces evacuation at Florida airport
Mon, 2012-02-06 07:42 AM

Florida cannonball
An old coral-covered cannonball forced the evacuation of the checked baggage area at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport the week of Jan. 30, said TSA, after its discovery in a diver’s...
TSA expects heaviest Super Bowl traveler volume on Feb. 6
Fri, 2012-02-03 08:55 AM

Indianapolis International
The Transportation Security Administration is set to deal with tens of thousands more passengers travelling through Indianapolis International Airport before and after Super Bowl XLVI with additional...
Privacy group calls for moratorium on facial recognition technology
Thu, 2012-02-02 08:09 AM
A privacy rights group told the Federal Trade Commission that the FTC should suspend facial recognition technology’s deployment by commercial users until privacy and other safeguard standards are...
DHS revs up information sharing and international efforts
Mon, 2012-01-30 03:43 PM

Secretary Napolitano
The Department of Homeland Security has focused not only on domestic security in the last year, but also on becoming an international force in securing trade, and it will push those efforts forward...
Congress passes Gabby Giffords’ bill to crack down on drug smugglers’ ultralight aircraft
Mon, 2012-01-30 08:17 AM

Ultralight aircraft
In her final legislative act before retiring from Congress to recover from an assassination attempt that nearly claimed her life, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) had introduced a bill that would crack...
AIT machines to be deployed at dozens more airports soon, says TSA
Fri, 2012-01-27 07:50 AM

Millimeter wave scanner
A good portion of the 775 Advanced Imaging Technology millimeter wave scanners recently procured by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are making their way into airports nationwide. The...
TSA expects to collect security-related data annually from about 800 aircraft operators
Thu, 2012-01-26 11:33 AM
TSA intends to continue collecting information from about 800 different aircraft operators to ensure that these operators are maintaining a TSA-approved security program that complies with federal...
Guilty plea in laser pointed at in-flight helicopter in Virginia
Thu, 2012-01-26 08:59 AM

Green laser
A Virginia Beach man plead guilty on Jan. 25 to pointing a laser at an in-flight helicopter, as it helped chase down suspects fleeing police. Christopher Willingham, 28, pled guilty to using a green...
CBP vendor to assess operations of Unmanned Aircraft Systems over Southwest desert
Wed, 2012-01-25 01:44 PM
CBP is looking for a contractor that can help it evaluate the feasibility of using Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to monitor the movement of human intruders into the United States along the U.S.-...

Company News

TSA to award maintenance contract for Itemisers to Morpho Detection

TSA is planning to award a sole source contract to Morpho Detection, Inc., of Wilmington, MA, to provide maintenance services and supplies for more than 2,000 of its Itemiser DX electronic trace detectors (ETDs), which have been deployed at airports across the U.S.

Morpho Detection said last June that TSA had ordered more than 2,800 Itemiser DX units with a total contract value of more than $83 million.

Tyco International completes Visonic acquisition

Tyco International Ltd. has completed the acquisition of Visonic Ltd.  a global developer and manufacturer of electronic security systems and components, for approximately $100 million in cash. The acquisition was first announced on September 15, 2011.

Tyco said Visonic is a leader in advanced wireless technology for the security industry. The company’s portfolio includes wireless communications technologies that offer increased range and secure communications, said Tyco and its technologies are used in more than one million wireless installations around the world.

CNL Software and AJAR-tec to offer integrated PSIM solutions

CNL Software, a supplier of Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) software, announced on Nov. 23 its partnership with AJAR-tec, which will offer IPSecurityCenter, CNL Software’s Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) software, as part of its digital security and IPCCTV solutions.

New dual-view and large tunnel X-ray systems for air cargo screening from L-3

L-3 Security & Detection Systems (SDS) announced on Nov. 17 that it has added three new dual-view X-ray platforms to its air cargo screening portfolio for inspecting break-bulk freight and skids, as well as larger pallet and “unit load device” (ULD) containers.

“We are pleased to expand our air cargo offerings to include larger tunnels, higher power options and a flexible architecture that enables customers to upgrade their systems as new requirements emerge,” said Thomas Ripp, president of L-3 Security & Detection Systems.

Telephonics and Mahindra & Mahindra to form surveillance and security joint venture in India

Telephonics Corp., a subsidiary of Griffon Corp., and Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., a $12.5 billion multi-national group based in Mumbai, India, announced on Nov. 17 the signing of a memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture (JV) to provide the Indian Ministry of Defense (MOD) and the Indian civil sector with radar and surveillance systems, Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) devices and communication systems.

Future Fibre Technologies wins security contract for Middle East airport

Future Fibre Technologies (FFT) announced on Nov. 15 that the company has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract to supply its fiber optic perimeter intrusion detection systems for a major new civilian airport in the Middle East.   

L.A. airport authority to upgrade access control and monitoring

Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the agency that oversees airport operations for the city of Los Angeles, including Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) awarded a contract modification to Unisys to upgrade its access control and alarm monitoring system, used to identify the 45,000 airport employees, contractors, police and others who work at the organization's three airports.

LAWA awarded a contract to Unisys to operate and maintain the access control and alarm monitoring system in 2009.

DeTect debuts its HARRIER Visual Warning System (VWS) to safeguard windfarms

In response to the dark skies initiative and wind industry demand, DeTect has developed its HARRIER VWS.

The system provides continuous 360-degree surveillance of the airspace around a windfarm from the ground level to above aircraft flight altitudes, automatically activating obstruction lighting when aircraft are detected at a defined outer perimeter.

Commentary and Opinions

9/11, A Decade Later -- Where are we today?

By Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS)

Today, we meet to discuss this nation’s progress in bringing about safety, security and resiliency against terrorism since the attacks of 9/11. 

But before we look back, I want to acknowledge and remember all the firefighters, police officers, and ordinary people who lost their lives that Tuesday morning. Remembering those who died must inspire us to make this nation better and safer. 

9/11, A Decade After -- We must remain vigilant and courageous

America is immeasurably more secure today at the tenth anniversary of 9/11 because of the enormous energy, resources, leadership, planning, and blood that we have poured into our national military and domestic security efforts. 

On 9/11, we lost nearly 3,000 innocent Americans, murdered while going about their daily lives. It was an attack of great cleverness, great daring, great surprise and simplicity. This was the greatest single loss of American life since the Battle of Antietam.

9/11, A Decade Later -- The Homeland Security & Defense Business Council’s 9-10-11 Project

During the past year, the Homeland Security & Defense Business Council has issued a series of monthly papers encapsulating the major topics that have shaped our nation’s approach to homeland security. Thirteen monographs have highlighted industry and government’s joint effort to confront the challenges, and develop solutions to successfully focus on the historic mission to create a more prepared, responsive, resilient, safer and secure homeland. 

Three reasons not to profile

Earlier this month, responding to a question from the editor of this publication, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Janet Napolitano, categorically rejected the use of profiling in homeland security efforts.  Instead of focusing its resources on young, Muslim men, DHS paid the most attention to behavior indicating terrorist activity, such as travel patterns. The Secretary’s rejection of profiling is spot on, both as a matter of efficacy and as a matter of ethics.

Rep. Ted Poe concerned with Mexican military choppers over Texas

[Editor’s note: Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) made these remarks on the House floor on May 18, 2010.]

Mr. Speaker, U.S. Border Patrol agents have spotted yet another Mexican military helicopter incursion into Texas. That makes three times these helicopters have crossed the border into America this year, that we know of. On Saturday [May 15, 2010], another Mexican military helicopter was in Texas, hovering near the Roma-Miguel Aleman International Bridge. Two other times this year, Mexican helicopters were photographed in Starr and Zapata Counties in Texas.

 

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Recent Airport & Aviation Security Videos

GSN 2011 Awards Dinner and Sponsor Interviews: John Clark, President and CEO, The Whitestone Group

It's been a banner year for the Whitestone Group, according to John Clark, CEO of the facility security, asset/force protection and investigations firm.  On July 1, the FAA signed a national contract with the company. NASA signed another only a few days before the GSN Awards Dinner.  Although the company’s first national security contract was with the Cirque de Soleil, it became clear to Clark early on that Whitestone’s most important mission was to going to be protecting U.S. Government facilities and infrastructure.

GSN 2011 Award Winners and Sponsor Interviews: Dave Natelson, President, Nasatka Security

GSN caught up with Dave Natelson for a quick interview at the Cocktail Reception at the 2011 Awards Dinner, before he learned that Nasatka had earned a Winner’s Trophy in the Best Perimeter Protection System in Awards Program. Mr. Natelson indicated the company had been named a Finalist for its steel plate barrier that uses an electric, as opposed to a hydraulic system, that had recently completed a 1.5 million cycle without any human interference – which he pointed out translates into a great return on investment for users.

ASIS 2011: Jim Viscardi, VP Trace Detection and Millimeter Wave Sales, Smiths Detection

Jim Viscardi reports that Smiths Detection is a world leader in the manufacturing of detection and imaging products that detect chemical weapons, toxic industrial materials, biological warfare agents, narcotics, radiation, nuclear materials and explosives. The company provides multiple technologies to multiple markets, he claims, segmenting by application and customer rather than by technology, a practice which gives Smiths Detection a competitive advantage because of its depth and breadth of products.

ASIS 2011: Al Shipp, President and CEO, 3VR Video

The 3VR Video Platform, says Al Shipp, takes standard video surveillance and extracts video information that is useful and actionable. In managing incoming video streams, 3VR can build metatags and put the useful information on a database that is searchable. This reduces the time to find what you are looking for down to minutes, rather than hours or days. “Anything you can search you can put an alert on,” says Shipp. Traditionally, if something bad happens, you used video surveillance to figure out what it was.

ASIS 2011: Brad Conway, Chairman and CEO, and Guy Couture, Technical Manager, Autoclear

Chairman and CEO Brad Conway explains that Autoclear is basically an anti-terrorist, anti-perpetrator company which is in the business of detecting contraband, explosives, weapons, metal, narcotics, chemical and nuclear substances through its broad lines of X-ray scanners, metal detectors and trace detection products. Key markets for the company are military/force protection, embassies and government buildings, airports and seaports, nuclear and oil facilities, customs, police bomb squads and other law enforcement applications. Mr.

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White Papers

Are Megapixel Security Cameras Ready for Prime Time?

Due to the limited amount of area that standard video cameras can cover while providing a sufficient level of detail, the current model for security system design relies on the use of large numbers of cameras.

Upcoming Events

Event Details Dates of Event
SANS Phoenix 2012 Feb 13 - 18
Gov TechTalks Lunch & Learn Session 7: Application Security Feb 15 - 15
SANS Secure India 2012 Feb 20 - 25
The Airport Law Enforcement Symposium Feb 23-24, 2012 Feb 23 - 24
Learn How to Simplify Data Management and Reduce Storage Costs - with Steak & Eggs Feb 23 - 23
Physical Security: Introductory Applications and Technology Feb 27 - Mar 1
Conducting Corporate Investigations Feb 27 - 28
ISC CHINA 2012 (International Security Conference & Exposition CHINA) Feb 27 - 29
RSA Conference 2012 Feb 27 - Mar 2
SAP Public Sector Partner Exchange Feb 28 - 28
SANS Secure Singapore 2012 Mar 5 - 17
SANS Germany 2012 Mar 5 - 10
Homeland Security Finance Forum 2012 Mar 6 - 6
Basic Hands-On CAMEO Training Mar 12 - 14
ASIS Assets Protection Course: Principles of Security (APC I) Mar 12 - 15
SANS Mobile Device Security Summit 2012 Mar 12 - 15
Aviation Week's Innovation Challenge Showcase Mar 13 - 14
Symantec Government Technology Summit Mar 20 - 20
STI at SANS 2012 Mar 23 - 30
SANS 2012 Mar 23 - 30
The 9th Two Day Conference On Indian Medical Devices & Plastics Disposables Industry 2012 Mar 23 - 24
SANS Northern Virginia 2012 Apr 15 - 20
Active Shooter Apr 18 - 19
SANS AppSec 2012 Apr 24 - May 2
SANS Cyber Guardian 2012 Apr 30 - May 7
Telework Exchange Spring 2012 Town Hall Meeting May 2 - 2
5th Sample Prep - Sample Preparation for Virus, Toxin, & Pathogen Detection & Identification May 3 - 4
SANS Security West 2012 May 10 - 18
SANS Toronto 2012 May 14 - 19
Counter Terror Expo US May 16 - 17
CEIC 2012 (Computer and Enterprise Investigations Conference) May 21 - 24
SANS Rocky Mountain 2012 Jun 4 - 9
Data Center Brainstorm 2012 Jun 19 - 19
SANS Forensics and Incident Response Summit 2012 Jun 21 - 27
Vanguard Security & Compliance 2012 Jun 25 - 28
SANS Canberra 2012 Jul 2 - 10

Full 2011 Calendar

New Products

Laser line security metal detector from Wizard

Created to make metal detection quicker, easier and more reliable, Wizard Industries has released its new Security Wizard 4, a laser...

Brijot debuts hand-held device that can ‘detect security risks without invading privacy’

In the pre-9-11 world, getting on a plane was as easy as emptying your pockets and walking through a metal detector. In the post-9-11 world, airline passengers must take off the...

Cellular Cargo Bomb Scanner from HSS

The Cellular Cargo Bomb Scanner CBS 7.72 Series from Homeland Security Strategies (HSS) scans cargo at airports, marine yards and truckin...

ICx introduces ClearPoint bottled liquid screener

Arlington, VA-based ICx T...

QinetiQ North America's offers SPO-7 standoff passive object detection system

McLean, VA-based QinetiQ North America characterizes its SPO-7 standoff passive object detection system as the kind calle...

More New Products