Tech Takes Role in Fighting Terrorism

Michelle Madigan, Medill News Service

WASHINGTON--As Congress tries to bring a department of homeland security to life, industry leaders say technology will play an important role in preventing future terrorist attacks.

After months of debate, congressional leaders expect to approve creation of the department in the next week. Some observers say that the fast-track approach is a consequence of Republicans' taking control of the Senate after last week's election.

"Clearly the election sent a message that American people want to get on with homeland defense," says Arthur Money, the Defense Department's chief information officer.

With recent threats from al Qaida and reports that Osama bin Laden may still be alive, homeland security remains a "multidimensional problem," Money adds.

Assessing Cyber-Weaponry

Silicon Graphics (SGI), which works with the military and government to develop techniques for examining complex data, gathered representatives of industry, government, and academia on Wednesday to discuss technology's role in homeland security.

"This is a chance to think fresh on how to use technology in its most advanced form," says Bob Bishop, SGI chair and chief executive officer.

SGI's 3D visual technologies could prove useful as weapons in the war on terror. Technology might help prevent a recurrence of the September 11 terrorist attacks or of the anthrax threat that followed, Bishop says. "The right picture at the right time is most likely to be worth a thousand lives."

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers is working on ways to retrofit walls and windows to protect critical infrastructure, says Robert Hall, chief of the Army's Geosciences and Structures Laboratory. The goal is to balance security with structural strength, Hall says. "Complete security is not the answer. We don't want to live in bunkers."

Engineers were five days short of finishing their renovation of the first section of the Pentagon when the plane hit on September 11. Though 125 people were killed, the devastation could have been much worse, says Hall.

Tools in Use

"The computer networks stayed intact" in the Pentagon, says Lee Holcomb, director of infrastructure for the Office of Homeland Security in the White House. "What would happen if we lost that ability?"

A cyberattack at the same time as a physical attack might be devastating if it succeeded in paralyzing emergency communications systems, Holcomb says.

Also fighting terrorists through technology is the Information Awareness Office, created in January to spot terrorist activities based on digital fingerprints. The group searches databases and relies on biometrics for human identification, but it faces the challenge of protecting individuals' privacy, too, says Deputy Director Robert Popp.

The advanced technology that the FBI uses to recreate crime scenes can be tapped to combat terrorist attacks as well. Using data gathering, digital photography, and 3D laser scans, agents can create computer-generated animations for jurors to consider during trials, according to Carl Adrian, a visual information specialist with the FBI.