Airport Security: Behavioral Screening

[Ceres]

CNN has an interesting report on how Israel's airport security systems are likely to change. I've gone through Israel's airport security, and they are already extremely thorough to say the least.

Several Israeli technology companies are now developing behavioral screening systems, which will focus on studying passengers' intentions and emotions, instead of using traditional metal detectors.

One firm, WeCU (pronounced "We See You") Technologies, employs a combination of infra-red technology, remote sensors and imagers, and flashing of subliminal images, such as a photo of Osama bin Laden. Developers say the combination of these technologies can detect a person's reaction to certain stimuli by reading body temperature, heart rate and respiration, signals a terrorist unwittingly emits before he plans to commit an attack.

Although traditional security profiling can discriminate by race and religion, security experts say behavioral profiling is more fair, more effective and less expensive.

The Orwellian-sounding startup has gone further to develop a system that detects a passenger's behavioral intentions by scanning their every step, literally. While walking around certain parts of the airport terminal, a passenger may not realize he has stepped on a "smart carpet" filled with hidden biometric sensors.

If you want to read more, here's the link to the CNN article: Behavioral screening -- the future of airport security? - CNN.com

 

[Jeff]

Scary stuff. The problem is that this technology won't just be limited to airports in the long run...

 

[RaghavK]

definitely not

 

[vlada]

It is the very interesting information that there are screening systems, which will focus on studying passengers' intentions and emotions but I think that it is a advertising trick. Anyway this technology is a useless thing because every well trained person can deceive such system because it is not an artificial intelligence.

 

[Ceres]

Vlada, I don't think this is an advertising trick. Israel is very serious when it comes to building technology to assist with security issues.

I agree that there are people who will try and deceive behavioral screening, but I don't think this will make the technology useless. If someone is trying to deceive you, they will attempt this no matter what technology you use to try and catch them.

 

[sanju123]

I think it is not a very brilliant idea, a person who is emotionally upset other wise or is going through some other kind of turmoil, his/her behavioral traits would also be a little weird. The screening would mark out even such people.

 

[Ceres]

That's probably true sanju123.

Also, customs use interrogation tactics that can make an innocent person feel guilty!