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Issue:
3rd Quarter 2008
FIGHTING TERRORISM THROUGH CLAIRVOYANCE [Top
Of Page]
The
Department of Homeland Security recently tested and is developing
cutting-edge security screening technology-a body scanner that can, believe
it or not, read your mind. The new system, called MALINTENT, searches
passengers' bodies for non-verbal cues that can help predict whether they
intend harm to other passengers. The equipment reads body temperature,
heart rate and respiration for signals that are unnoticeable to the naked
eye-signs that terrorists and criminals may display in advance of attack.
Subjects
are screened without physical contact by the equipment's sensors and
scanners. In addition to reading vital signs, the system performs
micro-facial scanning to measure minute muscle movements as clues to mood
and intention. These measurements are compared to a benchmark system
developed by experts to identify primary emotions and cues in contractions
of facial muscles. MALINTENT evaluates travelers on all these levels, and
if something appears awry, sends out a warning to a human data analyst who
decides whether to flag the passenger for questioning.
The
components-scanners and screeners that make up the mobile MALINTENT
lab--together have been named Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST),
because they are designed to move people through security in two to four
minutes or less. The system is sophisticated enough to differentiate
between an anxious traveler and a terrorist: even heavy sweaters and
harried individuals can be distinguished from "bad guys." This
technology is still in the experimental stages, but in tests has run at
approximately 78 percent accuracy on malintent detection, and 80 percent on
deception.
Critics
argue that this scanner, which catalogs vital signs for non-medical
reasons, is an invasion of privacy. But Homeland Security asserts that once
travelers pass through the system, all their information is discarded. They
also report that the system offers an unbiased and nonjudgmental solution
to identify potential terrorists without using traditional, and presumably
subjective, profiling methods.
In the
future, the FAST system may also incorporate biological, radiological and
explosives detection, but for now the focus is on identifying potential
human threats. Plans exist to implement an even wider array of screening
technology including eye scanners next year and a pheromone-reading system
by 2010.
Public use of this new screening
technology is still years off according to the Department of Homeland
Security, but it could be seen at airports, and even stadiums and malls, in
the not-so-distant future.
TSA
SECURE FLIGHT PROGRAM [Top
Of Page]
The
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has moved a step closer to
making its Secure Flight program-which has the goal of standardizing the
process of matching airline passengers to terror watch lists-a reality. The
TSA presented to Congress this fall evidence that it has successfully met
the 10-point certification process for Secure Flight as outlined in the
2005 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act.
Currently,
individual airlines are responsible for comparing passenger manifests to
no-fly and terror watch lists, and as such, the process is subject to wide
variations in implementation and results. Secure Flight aims to unify
screening across the industry, making flight safer and misidentifications
less frequent, by instead placing centralized responsibility with TSA.
Secure
Flight proposes to:
- Identify known and suspected terrorists;
- Prevent individuals on the No Fly List from
boarding an aircraft;
- Identify individuals on the Selectee List for
enhanced screening,
- Facilitate passenger air travel by providing fair,
equitable and consistent matching process across all aircraft
operators; and
- Protect individuals' privacy
- Provide a redress avenue for passengers who believe
they have been misidentified as a threat
TSA
rebuilt Secure Flight in 2006 with a greater focus on security and privacy,
submitted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in 2007, and concurrently offered
a public comment period for the traveling public and industry to voice
comments and concerns. Initial implementation of Secure Flight began in
2008 with the participation of three aircraft operators; the program
currently going through a final testing phase. TSA announced in
Congressional testimony that it has met the 10-point certification process through:
- Establishment of an Internal Oversight Board
- Implementing operational safeguards to reduce abuse
opportunities
- Putting in place substantial security measures to
prevent hacking
- Building processes to accommodate states with
unique transportation needs
- Establishing a redress process
- Ensuring that the system will not produce a large
number of false positives
- Addressing privacy concerns
- Determine appropriate life cycle cost estimates and
program plans exist
- Conduct stress tests and demonstrated the accuracy
of the system
- Ensure procedures for effective oversight of the
use and operation of the system
TSA
advises that most travelers will not notice any difference in their flight
experiences as a result of the Secure Flight implementation, and that
individuals flagged under the program for having similar names to those on
a watch list will have an easier method of resolution. It also claims
Secure Flight will make air travel safer while relieving a security burden
for the airlines.
DON'T LET THE BED BUGS BITE [Top
Of Page]
There has
been a dramatic global resurgence of reported bed bug infestations in the
last decade, attributable mostly to increased international travel and the
phasing out of DDT pesticides in the West. Unfortunately for travelers, bed
bugs thrive in high-occupancy places like hotels and motels, and are easy
to acquire and bring home on clothing, in luggage, via infested furniture
or on household pets.
Bed bugs
are tiny nocturnal insects found in temperate climates throughout the
world. Mature bed bugs are reddish-brown, flattened, oval and wingless,
approximately 1/8"- 3/16" in length. A common misconception is
that bed bugs cannot be spotted by the naked eye, but truly they are not
microscopic, move quite slowly, and can easily be seen by an attentive
observer.
Attracted
by warmth and the presence of carbon dioxide, bed bugs feed at night and
are most active just before sunrise. The insects are equipped with two
hollow tubes: one pierces the skin of their host and injects anticoagulant-
and anesthetic-containing saliva, and the other withdraws blood. After
feeding for about five to ten minutes, bed bugs will retreat to their
hiding place-usually a dark crevice in the bed or a crack somewhere in the
room. Bed bugs can readily exist for many months without feeding. Severe
infestations can often be indicated by a peculiar sweet odor in the room.
Bed bug
victims usually do not feel bites until minutes, hours or even days later.
The bites appear as raised red bumps or flat welts, almost
indistinguishable from mosquito or flea bites, and often accompanied by
intense itching. Remember that though unpleasant, bed bugs are not known to
transmit any diseases.
Tips to
avoid these pesky little insects:
- Examine the room to seek potential hiding places
for bed bugs such as carpet edges, mattress seams, pillow case
linings, bed boards, wall trim, or any other tiny, crack-like places.
- Look specifically at mattress seams for signs of
bed bug activity such as droppings, eggs, bloodstains, or even the
insects themselves.
- Keep a flashlight nearby while asleep to
immediately observe activity during the night without having to get up
to turn on the lights, giving the bed bugs an opportunity to hide.
- Never leave clothing laying on the bed or any
location of possible infestation. Use hangers and hooks to keep
clothing off of the floor and bed.
- Close suitcases and travel bags that are not in
use. This way the bed bugs may move on top of luggage, but have a much
more difficult time getting inside.
- Try to avoid putting luggage the floor. Elevate it
on tables and chairs. These are less likely hiding spots for bed bugs.
- Keep any bed bug you find (intact if possible) to
show to the hotel management.
If you
are a hotel guest and suspect your room has bed bugs, inform the management
immediately. The itching and swelling of bed bug bites can be treated with
topical cortisone creams and oral antihistamines; if complications occur,
such as dilated capillaries, pus-filled blisters, hives of up to 8 inches
across, clusters of inflamed red bumps, consult a doctor. In extremely rare
cases anaphylactic shock can result from the injected substances of bed
bugs-call emergency services immediately.
FROM THE ASSIST AMERICA CASE FILES: HEMMORHAGE AWAY
FROM HOME [Top Of Page]
Sharon*
and Robert departed from Boston on a sunny Sunday
morning to attend a four-day annual summer agricultural fair in Regina,
Canada.
Just 24 hours after their arrival, Assist America received a call from
Robert: Sharon had started
having serious vision and balance problems, and they had rushed to the
emergency room. We immediately conferred with her treating doctors, who
learned through CT scans and a spinal tap that Sharon
had bleeding into the membranes surrounding her brain, a condition called
subarachnoid hemorrhage. The doctors were waiting for the results of more
testing to determine whether medication or surgery would be the required
course of treatment.
We
continued monitoring Sharon and consulting with the doctors
until the results came in: Sharon
would need a surgical procedure called coiling to correct her problem, and
the hospital was not equipped to perform it. Also, following the complex
procedure, Sharon would not be
fit for transport and would need lengthy rehabilitation. It was clear she
needed to be moved somewhere closer to home.
Our
operations center went into action, and had her flown via air ambulance
with a full medical team to Massachusetts
General Hospital,
where she successfully underwent the coiling procedure and began her
recovery. Another happy ending, thanks to Assist America!
*name has
been changed for privacy
COFFEE,
TEA OR LAPTOP PRIVACY SCREEN? [Top Of
Page]
If you
thought that armrest hogs and reckless seat recliners were the most
obnoxious in-flight annoyance, think again! Have you ever considered that
you would have to contend with the person sitting next to you watching
pornography, violent material or other potentially inappropriate content?
As in-flight Wi-Fi becomes a reality, so does the dilemma it has created
for airlines and their customers. For most carriers, details are still
being worked out regarding paid, in-flight wireless internet service-but
content filtering is one of the major issues being discussed.
Airlines
offering in-flight Wi-Fi are relying on passengers to use good judgment
while surfing the web, but travelers have widely varying standards of
"good judgment" and what is appropriate for general audiences.
The subject of paid in-flight web service and freedom of speech is
controversial, and as of yet, no determination has been made about how it
will be handled.
Being the
well-mannered passenger that you are, what should you do if you are seated
next to someone viewing objectionable content? Here are a few tips to keep
in mind:
- Don't look. Try to focus on your own laptop, read a
book or take a nap.
- Say something. Calmly and politely let the person
know that you would appreciate if they could turn off the offensive
material or at least turn the screen away from your line of sight.
- Ask for assistance. Flight attendants want all
passengers to be happy. They may ask the person to watch something
else, turn their screen, or view the material once they're off the
plane. They may even move you to a different seat, if one is
available.
SAVE
PAPER, USE YOUR CELL PHONE [Top Of Page]
Air France
is the latest airline to go handheld with boarding passes, offering them
electronically via cell phone or PDA for passengers on the Paris Charles de
Gaulle-Amsterdam Schiphol route. Lufthansa, Air Canada
and WestJet, Delta, Northwest and Continental provide similar convenience
for all or some of their serviced locales.
When
passengers check in on their airline's website, they can elect to receive
their boarding pass barcode as a text message or e-mail sent directly to
their phone. This boarding pass is then valid for checking baggage,
proceeding through security and boarding the flight.
In
October 2007, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced
a global standard for cell phone bar codes. Since then, airlines like Air Canada
and Continental have been testing the technology in select airports.
How
it Works
Upon
check-in on the airline's website, a bar code containing the passenger's
name and flight information is generated and sent to their phone. When the
passenger arrives at the baggage or security checkpoint, they simply
present the cell phones or PDA with the encrypted 2-D barcode to a TSA
officer. The officer scans the barcode to verify its authenticity using a
handheld device. For now, passengers are still required to show photo
identification so officers can match the name on the boarding pass and
identification. .
Advantages
The
complexity of the two-dimensional barcode creates an additional layer of
security because it cannot be altered without being discovered upon
scanning at the checkpoint, making forgery or fraud easier to detect.
(Paper boarding passes contain only one-dimensional bar codes.)
Airlines,
already connected to passengers' cell phones, can then communicate with
them directly about on-board services and baggage pickup,
upgrading/changing seating arrangements, checking standby status, and
helping rebook cancelled or delayed flights.
The
Future
The IATA
realizes that for this new system to work efficiently, airports will have
to upgrade cell phone coverage indoors and offer more phone-charging power
outlets, though printing a paper boarding pass at the airport is always
still an option if a phone is lost or conks out.
Still,
the IATA plans to require all carriers to use two-dimensional bar codes on
boarding passes by the end of 2010, and could phase out paper versions
entirely by that time. They estimate this could save $500 million annually
for airlines and result in less hassle for customers, while improving security
and cutting down on paper waste.
Contact
your airline before traveling to inquire about electronic boarding passes.
For the
latest, up-to-date information regarding key regions, click on the links
below:
AFRICA
EAST ASIA
& PACIFIC
EUROPE &
EURASIA
NEAR EAST
SOUTH
& CENTRAL ASIA
WESTERN
HEMISPHERE
Sources for this document
include, but are not limited to: Fox
News, USA
Today, InformationWeek, Traveler 2.0, PC World, MSNBC, ABC News, HarvardSchool
of Public Health
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