Good Sweat, Bad Sweat

TSA seeks behavior detectors to weed out terrorists

By CSO Contributor

March 01, 2005 — CSO — Technology Can a computer tell the difference between a perspiring, would-be suicide bomber and a perspiring, determined passenger about to miss his flight? That's what the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) wants to know.

Last year, TSA posted a request for information (RFI) for technology that "can remotely detect patterns in a passenger's physiological responses or overt behaviors"such as darting eyes or sweating templesthat are associated with malicious intent. TSA's transportation security lab is reviewing the submissions.

Surveillance equipment makers say technology that discerns physiological responsessuch as good sweat from bad sweatis in the embryonic stage of development. But a combination of current technologies comes very close to achieving the same results. Biometric devices, such as fingerprint scanners, can analyze skin resistance tightness, moisture level and pulse rate. Layered voice analysis (LVA) senses agitation. Infrared technology can measure body temperature, and video surveillance can detect odd movements.

Two companies, security provider Radian and LVA technology provider V LLC, have submitted a joint response to the TSA's RFI. They are developing a security kiosk that combines all of these detectors to screen passengers without a pat down.

Voice analysis technologies, such as LVA, accurately identify suspicious behavior 83 percent of the time, according to a study by the Air Force Research Lab. "Layering the technology with biometrics and video improves that accuracy," says Richard Sackett, chief engineer at Radian. Sackett expects companies with critical database centers, such as financial institutions, to use security kiosks to keep the centers secure.

Read more about data protection in CSOonline's Data Protection section.

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