Technological Issue in Homeland Security - Term Paper Example

Technological Issue in Homeland Security Technological issue in homeland security Introduction Homeland security is one of the crucial departments in the United States. The chief focus of Homeland Security is to provide security and protect U.S. from terrorist activity (Alperen, 2011). Homeland Security also deals with Border Security, cyber and immigration security and counterterrorism. In carrying out its operations, Homeland Security Department makes use of technology since, without using technology, dealing with terrorism could be a predicament. In this paper, I will discuss how information technology has impacted the Homeland Security. In addition, I will discuss the impacts of the internet and biometric technology. Discussion According to Vacca (2007), the internet has led to vast transformations in the Homeland Security. For many years, the internet has been utilized to enhance communication between terrorists. The terrorists are also utilizing the internet as a recruiting tool, and support of terrorist organizations; it is through the internet that various terrorist organizations communicate and advise each other on the tactics to use in attacking their enemies. The internet has also enabled Homeland Security to get information in a cheap and easy manner; obtaining of information through the internet is easy since, at a single click, Homeland Security can have a lot of information. This has helped the Homeland Security to detect any threats to security and act promptly, thus eliminating issues of terrorism. Sharing of information from one individual to another over the globe has been necessitated through the use of the internet. Hence, the Homeland Security can access terrorism information over the globe through the use of the internet. This terrorist information is usually crucial in eliminating terrorist activities and improving security. On the side of Homeland security, the internet has been an excellent tool since it has assisted the department in identifying individuals who may be terrorists through the use of biometric technology (Alperen, 2011). According to biometric technology, every person possesses certain traits; behavioral and physical, which identify people in a unique manner. The internet has made the revelation of operations done by the Homeland Security officials feasible. Through internet hacking or cyber crimes, the terrorists can access crucial information from the Homeland security website. Because of this problem, the Homeland Security has increased cyber intelligence through seeking Information Technology professionals to assist in tracking of the terrorist activities on the internet. In addition, Homeland Security has also trained its agents and officers on information technology techniques in an attempt to identify and verify individuals (Alperen, 2011). One such information technology applied by the Homeland Security is biometric technology. The biometric technology is usually utilized by the Homeland Security as a defensive tool. Supporters of the biometric technology are of the opinion that proper collection of individual traits from visitors entering the United States. Those deemed as a security threat is an essential step in enhancing Homeland Security. However, collection, storage and rightful use of the unique biometric traits as a way of enhancing security provide a dominant challenge for Information Technology organizations and security in terms of system accuracy and interoperability. Hence, biometric technology possesses both advantages and challenges to the Homeland security. In using biometric technology, two recognition systems can be utilized; identification or verification systems. According to Erbschloe (2004), identification biometric applications seek to establish a person’s identity. On the other hand, verification biometric applications seek to confirm a person’s identity. During the identification process, the necessary biometric data is collected and templates stored within the biometric recognition device or in a central database. If, during enrollment, the identifier is false, a subject’s biometric data will be associated to the false identification. This will have potential disaster in security implications. The Homeland Security will not be capable of identifying individuals correctly. This poses a serious problem since Homeland security may not identify a certain terrorist who can be a security threat. Following an enrollment, the biometric process can branch into identification with the chief goal of identifying an individual. Through using biometric technology, various factors can lead to errors in a biometric system, which will lead to a negative impact on Homeland Security. For instance, there can be temporary changes in the biometric traits taken at the time of enrollment; these include changes in voice emanating from possible cuts on fingertips or respiratory illness (Erbschloe, 2004). Environmental conditions can also have a role, especially if there is a variation in light during facial recognition or dry climate situations; this can result to weakness in fingerprint impressions. In addition, a change in sensors used from enrollment to identification or enrollment to verification can also lead to a negative impact. Improper subject interaction like change in face systems, or unperturbed eyelids during a retinal or iris scan can also be a possible source of error in biometric technology. Biometric technology is a challenge to the Homeland Security because it utilizes physiological traits such as retinal recognition systems. The retinal systems usually record patterns of blood vessels on the narrow nerve of the eyeball. The retinal patterns are remarkably distinctive as each eye has a unique pattern, including the identical twins. Although they are stable over a period, retinal patterns can be affected by diseases like diabetes, glaucoma, and conditions like HIV/AIDS and high blood pressure (Erbschloe, 2004). Gates (2011) asserts that capturing of retinal images is a bigger challenge than other biometric systems since the eye must be placed remarkably close to the scanning device’s lens. Hence, the use of biometric technology in Homeland Security has led to employing professionals, who have the capability of using the technology since, in some way, the technology requires technical skills. Since there can be errors when using this technology, the Homeland Security sometimes may not identify or verify the target individuals, which is a challenge. When the target individuals are terrorists, there will be fault in identifying them; this implies that there may be acts of terrorism emanating from the complexity of the technology. Since biometrics is a new technology, the Homeland Security department has to make some conscious decisions before purchase and installation of the biometric technology systems. Some of its application systems are considerably expensive in application to the real life (Newman, 2009). For example, carrying out DNA tests and hand geometry systems require Homeland Security covering remarkably high costs. The biometric technology forces Homeland Security to use additional costs in purchasing equipments to help in the identification and verification of individuals, and in training its officials on the use of the various systems. It is because of using biometric technology in Homeland Security that has seen the development of a US-VISIT program, which uses the biometrics technology in curbing issues of terrorism. However, the US-VISIT program usually infringes individuals’ civil rights, and more so, an individual’s privacy (Newman, 2009). Based on this technology, each person entering the borders of the United States has to provide information regarding fingerprints and any other biometric data required in order to identify individuals. Therefore, this form of technology has led to infringement of civil rights of other countries, affecting the international relation policy of the U.S. with other countries. Although biometric technology used in Homeland Security has faced several disadvantages, the technology has also some advantages in promoting the Homeland Security. One of the advantages of the biometric technology is that it has assisted in swift identification of individuals through the use of unique traits (Coleman, 2003). For example, through the use of fingerprints, the biometric technology can easily detect individuals having some faults within a few seconds. The faults are usually detected without wastage of time, a move that has promoted and upheld the Homeland Security. This has indeed helped in wiping out terrorist activities in the United States. The biometric technology is beneficial since it helps in bringing out distinctive traits within individuals; other technologies can fail in doing this (Newman, 2009). For instance, using the retinal DNA or fingerprint verification systems, individuals can be identified with ease. It does not matter whether individuals are identical twins or not, but their traits will be different (Chen, 2007). This helps the Homeland Security in increasing security in America and in eliminating issues of terrorism. Another advantage associated with biometric technology is that different systems can be applied when one system fails, or a combination of systems can be used together. For instance, facial recognition can have faults due to change in lighting, but instead, other systems such as DNA or fingerprint can be used if the method fails. In addition, a combination of facial recognition, DNA and fingerprints can be used together to identify or verify an individual (Coleman, 2003). Another advantage is that, although some systems used in biometric technology may be affected by certain factors, biometric technology remains to be an accurate application technology in curbing terrorist activities (Vacca, 2007). Hence, the biometric technology assists Homeland Security in curbing terrorist activities in a more accurate manner than using other means (Gates, 2011). For instance, the use of fingerprints to identify individuals, who enter the United States border, has helped to accurately identify individuals termed as terrorists, thus increasing security in the United States. The use of biometric technology by Homeland Security has enhanced the issues of security in the United States, eliminating threats to full involvement of individuals in investment. This has increased the investment of businesses in America. Increase in investment opportunities, due to terrorism elimination by biometric technology, has led to the growth of America’s income since investors feel safe to invest in a stable country with no threats to security (Gates, 2011). In addition, automated biometric identifications can take place with minimum training, a move that has encouraged most individuals to train in an attempt to increase security and eliminate terrorist activities. Another benefit featured by the use biometric technology in Homeland Security is that the information presented in identifying an individual is unique (Coleman, 2003). This helps in eliminating the issue of falsifying since the technology is remarkably effective, efficient, and safe. Therefore, biometric technology can help in identification of individuals despite their variations. Through the use of this technology, any information concerning the traits of an individual does not vary since it does not depend on the time the information stays in the systems. This helps in saving extra costs of finding the traits of an individual since the stored data has the traits of the individual. By using biometric technology, information regarding an individual can be presented with a lot of reliability since information about an individual presented by using this technology is private, access controlled, non-repudiated and consists of integrity (Chen, 2007). Reliable information will be free of errors, which makes the biometric technology efficient in the identification and verification of persons. Because of the reliability of the information presented by using biometric technology, individuals, who are involved in terrorism activities or who pose a security threat to the U.S., usually fear that, through the use of biometric technology, they will be identified with ease (Vacca, 2007). This makes individuals with such behavior fear entering borders of U.S, thus eliminating issues of security threats. People with the intention of causing a security threat or terrorizing citizens of the U.S. will always feel unsafe in doing so. This stems from the fact that the technology used in detecting them can do so within no time. No matter how long the individuals’ biometric data have been stored in the systems, the biometric systems will take the least time in identifying the individuals (Chen, 2007). Hence, the biometric technology has made terrorists feel unsafe since they can be noticed at any time using the technology. Conclusion Homeland Security Department makes use of technology since, without using technology, dealing with terrorism could be a predicament. On the side of Homeland security, the internet has been an excellent tool since it has assisted the department in identifying individuals who are terrorists through the use of biometric technology. Based on biometric technology, everyone possesses certain traits; behavioral and physical, which identify them in a unique manner. The internet has made the revelation of operations done by the Homeland Security officials feasible. However, through internet hacking or cyber crimes, the terrorists can access crucial information from the Homeland security website. References Alperen, J. M. (2011). Foundations of Homeland Security. London: Taylor & Francis. Coleman, K. (2003). Technology and Homeland Security.Directions Magazine 4(6). Chen, H. (2007). National Security. London: Routledge. Erbschloe, M. (2004). Implementing Homeland Security for Enterprise IT. Oxford: Elsevier. Gates, K. (2011). Our Biometric Future: facial recognition technology and the culture of Survellance. New York: New York University Press. Newman, R. (2009). Security and Access Control Using Biometric Technologies. New York: McGraw-Hill. Vacca, R.J. (2007). Biometric Technologies and Verification Systems. New York: Prentice Hall. Read More