U.S., U.K. cooperate on security technology, push for standards

U.S., U.K. cooperate on security technology, push for standards The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Britain’s Home Office signed an agreement last week outlining cooperation on research and development to protect critical infrastructure and otherwise provide for civil security.
   Under the Memorandum of Agreement, signed after a regular meeting of a joint U.S.-U.K. working group in London, the two countries will share expertise, scientists and best practices, develop threat and vulnerability assessments for automated components of critical infrastructure, and technologies for homeland security applications.
   The agreement expands close cooperation between the two allies in the area of intelligence sharing, non-proliferation, aviation and port security.
   In subsequent remarks to the Royal United Services Institute, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security James Loy stressed the need for international cooperation to defeat the global terrorist threat, especially against the international system of commerce.
   He urged countries to agree on cargo security standards in the same way they adopted through the International Maritime Organization a common port and vessel security code that went into effect last July.
   The best way to ensure containers are not being used to smuggle weapons or explosive weapons is for all countries to follow similar procedures for analyzing data on shipments, examining cargo and use of container scanning, tracking and sealing technologies, Loy said.
   “I hope that freedom-loving nations around the world can come together, perhaps as soon as this year, to cooperate closely in enhancing container security,” Loy said.
   His comments dovetailed with a non-binding agreement made in Jordan at the same time by members of the World Customs Organization to follow a global supply chain security regime closely patterned on the U.S. model for identifying suspicious cargo containers ahead of time and streamlining the customs exam process for trusted shippers. U.S. Customs and Border Protection chief Robert Bonner has been pushing for governments for the past year to adopt a consistent set of security standards.
   International standards on the use of biometric technology are also necessary to ensure countries have interoperable systems to verify the identity of travelers, Loy added.
   The International Civil Aviation Authority is working on developing the standards.