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Personal touch: Homeland Security 'human factors' puts imprint on emerging technologies.


Jay Cohen Jay Cohen (born 1968) was the CEO of World Sports Exchange (WSEX), an online gambling company from 1996 until July 24, 2000, when he was the first United States citizen to be convicted in US Federal Court for violation of the Federal Wire Act for operating an online gambling , Department of Homeland Security Noun 1. Department of Homeland Security - the federal department that administers all matters relating to homeland security
Homeland Security

executive department - a federal department in the executive branch of the government of the United States
 undersecretary, rarely passes up an opportunity to mention that he created the human factors division at his revamped science and technology directorate.

Cohen cohen
 or kohen

(Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male.
 has repeatedly said that he is as interested in the bomber as he is in the bomb.

"We're right now the smallest division, but I'd like to think we're the sugar in everybody's Wheaties," said the division's first director, Sharla Rausch.

In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke"
put differently
, everything the science and technology directorate does has a human element, Rausch told a National Defense Industrial Association science and technology conference.

That goes for the other five divisions: explosives, chemical-biological, command, control and interoperability, borders and maritime security and infrastructure and geophysics.

Before Cohen's arrival last year, human factors in DHS DHS Department of Homeland Security (USA)
DHS Department of Human Services
DHS Department of Health Services
DHS Demographic and Health Surveys
DHS Dirhams (Morocco national currency) 
 technology programs were "sporadically spread out." The new division is attempting to be more systematic, she said. Its motto is: "know our enemies; understand ourselves; put the human in the equation."

The division has five goals for which it would like assistance from contractors.

The first is identifying the enemy. "What we're looking for Looking for

In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with.
 is real-time, accurate ... ergonomically effective biometrics," said Rausch.

Next is enhancing the safety and effectiveness of the tools and technology DHS officers use. For example, the division wants to identify the best personnel to do screening at airports.

The third goal is understanding terrorists' intent and behavior. How do radicals recruit members, what are their patterns, and what are the best ways to counter their message?

Perhaps the most controversial goal is the creation of technology that can identify suspicious behavior. The division needs sensors that can quickly identify hostile intent The threat of imminent use of force by a foreign force, terrorist(s), or organization against the United States and US national interests, US forces and, in certain circumstances, US nationals, their property, US commercial assets, and other designated non-US forces, foreign nationals,  in an unobtrusive manner. These solutions must be "publicly acceptable," she said.

The last is how to lessen the social, psychological and economic impact of disasters--natural or manmade--on communities.

"Just in case that bomber squeaks through, we want to make sure the community is prepared to respond and recover," Rausch said.

Email your comments to SMagnuson@ndia.org
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Title Annotation:SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs
Comment:Personal touch: Homeland Security 'human factors' puts imprint on emerging technologies.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)
Author:Wagner, Breanne
Publication:National Defense
Date:Jul 1, 2007
Words:328
Previous Article:Scary thought.
Next Article:Law enforcement personnel can spot terrorist suspects before attacks.(SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs)



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