Three vendors qualify for CSD test

Three vendors qualify for CSD test

Related Stories •   U.S. Customs issues specs for CSDs

   U.S. Customs and Border Protection has selected container security devices from three vendors for laboratory and possible operational testing that could lead to certification of the technology for limited use on high-risk trade lanes.
   The electronic devices are designed to detect intrusion via the container doors and wirelessly transmit an alert to transportation providers, customers or law enforcement. They differ from exterior seals because they are mounted inside the container or trailer to prevent criminals or terrorists from disabling or circumventing the system.
   Agency officials would not identify the firms, but a spokeswoman for GE Security, maker of a product called CommerceGuard, confirmed the company met the technology specifications and would participate in the next phase of trials. A communication device supplied by iControl Inc., Santa Clara, Calif., will also undergo testing, Diane Quick, vice president of business development, confirmed.
   San Diego-based Science Applications International Corp. is the third company participating in the lab test phase, according to Quick and another industry source who closely follows container security technology. SAIC media representatives did not return phone calls on the matter.
   CBP has pursued a container security device for several years, but interest waned in late 2005 after officials determined that the GE Security device under consideration at the time triggered too many false alarms. Compounding the problem was the lack of clear expectations for technical and operational performance, a situation since corrected with the issuance of the specifications in December.
   Officials have said CSDs might be useful in certain applications where there is confidence the container has been securely sealed at the point of stuffing, such as at suppliers of companies that belong to the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism.

Ahern

   CBP Deputy Commissioner Jayson Ahern testified April 2 before a House Appropriations subcommittee against requiring intrusion-detection devices on all sea containers, saying, “It is important to note that CSD technology only improves container security if one can ensure the integrity of the shipment before the CSD is activated. Requiring such a device independent of a process to ensure that the goods within a container were secure before its application would have an adverse effect on security, creating the false impression that a dangerous shipment was secure.”
   A CSD could be an extra layer of security C-TPAT companies could voluntarily choose to adopt to achieve Tier 3 status and buy down inspection rates to the lowest possible level under the supply chain security program.
   But many companies are skeptical about spending money to protect against perceived low probability terrorist threats unless they believe the technology can improve operations by helping to monitor in-transit inventory and improve customer service.

Chertoff

   Homeland Secretary Michael Chertoff informed Congress earlier this year that CSD technology is not mature enough to require on containers, and that the department would meet the minimum security standards sought by Congress in last year’s 9/11 Implementation bill by issuing a regulation mandating the use of bolt seals on all containers by Oct. 15.
   GE Security and SAIC are submitting door-opening detectors for the program. iControl specializes in the communications architecture that can interface with sensors from other providers to transmit door status updates and container location information.
   In addition to system reliability, CBP is also interested in minimizing private sector costs. It wants a system that doesn’t require an extensive build out of short-range radio frequency readers at port gates and other locations, has an open architecture that can integrate with all types of devices, and has encryption capabilities to prevent jamming or data manipulation. iControl potentially addresses concerns with GE’s system, which operates on a proprietary frequency and with multiple RFID readers.
   The iControl system requires only a single instrument per facility because its radio frequency transmitter has a range of more than a mile. Developed as part of a separate Department of Homeland Security program called the Marine Asset Tag Tracking System, it also exceeds the CSD technical requirements. Outside the port or local area it can continue to communicate using a cellular modem that can dial out information on the local wireless network, or revert to a low-power satellite communications modem in remote regions. The iControl pack uses Global Positioning System hardware for real-time tracking.
   Last year, liner carrier APL transported 100 containers outfitted with MATTS communication devices from the Port of Yokohama, Japan, to terminals in Southern California and onto destinations in the Midwest as part of a DHS test.
   The use of a standardized, interoperable communications platform is designed to allows shippers to use tamper-detection devices from multiple vendors and keep their technology integration costs low. ' Eric Kulisch