StormWarning’s Counterterrorism

"Smart dust???"

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which supported the development of the Internet in the 1960s, has been providing research funds for almost 20 years devoted to the development of microelectromechanical systems. Of special interest in this area for security specialists is the work of Kristofer S. J. Pister, professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences at the University of California at Berkeley and also CEO of Dust, Inc.

As the name implies, Pister’s company <http://www.dust-inc.com/flash-index.shtml> specializes in the development and practical applications of "smart dust," which are tiny wireless sensors ("motes," ideally less than 1 cubic millimeter) that can communicate with each other and with computers to provide dynamic environmental and positional information.

Perhaps the most interesting application is in security <http://www.dust-inc.com/solutions/ss.shtml>, where the suggestions include commercial security systems, perimeter security, civil infrastructure monitoring, intruder detection, personnel protection, remote site surveillance and unattended ground sensors. In particular, the motes are much less expensive to buy and quicker to install than a wired system and can easily be redeployed as conditions change <http://www.dust-inc.com/solutions/commercial_security.shtml>.

For perimeter security, similar considerations make it much cheaper to install wireless motes on, say, oil pipelines, pumping stations and other unattended system components.</i>

So much is being done in security technologies these days.  Certainly there is a question of whether stuff like this, or anyone other technology will be adopted by the government to protect our Nation from terrorism.

Just some thoughts.  I’ll be adding something of my own experiences in technology for homeland security in the comming days.

Technology