Group to develop standards for container security device

Group to develop standards for container security device    A consortium of companies involved in developing container security devices has formed a non-profit organization with the goal of rapidly developing international standards for devices that detect and electronically report intrusions and other anomalies that could indicate tampering by criminals or terrorists.
   General Electric Co., Mitsubishi Corp., Siemens AG, Unisys Corp., JP Morgan Chase and GreenLine Systems announced Thursday the creation of the International Container Security Organization (ICSO) to develop common protocols and information technology requirements for using the devices and sharing data.
   GE Security has developed a container security device that magnetically attaches to the inside of the container and uses an electronic proximity sensor to detect and record when the door is opened. Fixed and handheld readers used at ports and other locations can pick up the short-range radio frequency signal with the identification number and status from the internal transmitter.
   Mitsubishi and Siemens are large conglomerates who have minority stakes in CommerceGuard AB, the GE Security subsidiary that is developing the container security device, and are helping to market it in Europe and Asia. Unisys is a technology integrator that has helped GE run pilot tests and analyze the effectiveness of the system. GreenLine Systems is a small technology firm that has a contract with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to develop automated systems for capturing more data from international ocean shipments.
   GE has decided to commercialize its product even though CBP, which is testing the device as part of its Smart Box initiative, has not certified the technology for voluntary or mandatory use as part of any government cargo security program. The lack of government-issued requirements is pushing the consortium to define the standards itself.
   The concept is similar to other business consortia such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Memory Stick, that have pushed ahead with self-regulated standards when industry or international regulatory bodies can’t reach consensus on a global standard.
   The ICSO will develop and recommend standards for:
   * Notifying customs authorities and authorized business personnel when shipments and containers are compromised during transit.
   * Future sensors for detecting humidity, radiation, temperature changes and other container conditions.
   * Storing CSD reads.
   * Ensuring security and privacy of business data.
   The consortium said it plans to publish its first standards by early fall, a schedule that is much faster than normal standards-setting efforts.
   The member companies said they are forming their own standards-setting body rather than go through the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which covers multiple disciplines within its various working committees and is not focused on international container security. The ICSO said in a statement that the development of standards for security systems is more appropriate for a closely held forum rather than an open process such as the one at the ISO that requires broad disclosure of details that could be helpful to terrorists.
   Businesses, government agencies and individuals are invited to join the ICSO.