Make Sure the Right Hand Knows ...

It seems as if the Homeland Security Department doesn't want to be outdone by the Defense Department. On May 16, the Defense Academy for Credibility Assessment (formerly the Defense Department Polygraph Institute) released a request for proposals asking industry to provide ways it can use information technology and/or behavioral analysis methods to screen large groups of people who may be, say, preparing to board planes or attending an event. (See Government Executive's "The Shrink Approach to Airport Checkpoints.")

DHS released July 9 an RFP asking industry to provide IT solutions that use sensors to scan individuals who plan to board planes, trains or other modes of public transportation as well as people planning to attend "Special Security Events."

"Persons involved in or planning to be involved in possible malicious or deceitful acts will show various behavioral or physiological abnormalities," and sensors can help detect an individual's intention to do harm by applying monitoring systems for provide information on "cardiovascular, respiration, ... eye tracking as well as other promising technology capable of providing behavioral indicators," according to the RFP. "The goal is to take the individual outputs of the distinct sensors and combine them into a decision matrix in order to provide a single decision."

Maybe the folks at Defense and DHS need to get together to see if they can work together on this one.

Hat tip: Wired