Protecting critical infrastructures and key assets in the U.S. involves a multitude of physical protection challenges due to the complex nature of the infrastructures and assets involved. Potential targets consist of a highly varied, mutually dependent mix of facilities, systems and functions. Failure to protect one of them could conceivably start a domino effect of consequences that could ultimately have a negative impact on public health and safety, national security, the economy and public confidence.

After President Bush gave his final ultimatum to Saddam Hussein on March 17, the nation once again went on high alert. At the same time, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge released his newly outlined national plan called, “Operation Liberty Shield,” with the purpose of heightening security at the nation's borders, airports, seaports and railways, as well as at nuclear and chemical plants and certain elements of the nation's food supply and distribution system — all considered critical infrastructure.

Securing these resources requires the help of federal, state, and local governments and the private sector — especially security service and product providers.

As part of the Bush Administration's ongoing commitment to strengthen security of the nation's transportation system, $105 million in Port Security Grants and $28 million for Operation Safe Commerce's pilot program for port security have been made available by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

The Port Security Grants program includes grants for security assessments and strategies for mitigating vulnerabilities and for enhancing cargo and passenger security and access control. More than $92 million in Port Security Grants have already been distributed to 51 U.S. ports, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey which received more than $4 million.

The New York and New Jersey Port Authority, responsible for securing JFK, Newark, LaGuardia and Islip airports, selected Loronix video systems for projects that include digital video solutions.

The Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corp. (PATH) rapid transit system uses digital recorders and content management software by Loronix Video Systems and Verint Systems, Woodbury, N.Y., to monitor CCTV cameras for security and operations of the rail system around the clock. The digital video recording system was installed to monitor the flow of passengers, train operations, maintenance and other activities at the PATH's 13 rail stations and at other locations. Most recently, the Port Authority has added Loronix equipment to monitor bridges and all the tunnels leading in and out of Manhattan.

The Loronix systems can be integrated with existing security systems, and its analysis capabilities provide security officials with intelligence allowing them to accurately deploy resources necessary to respond to incidents.

“An intelligent video system offers advantages to airports,” says Mark Wellman, president of Camtronics, the Detroit based integrator that designed and installed a digital video system at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW). “With this kind of system, the chain of events following a security breach is expedited. A physical description is immediate, and tracking of the offender can be viewed from other locations, thus allowing officials to close off and search a very specific area.”

For asset protection, a system like the Loronix solution can be integrated with barcode scanners and other transactional systems.

Water utilities can also benefit from such a system. The recently passed Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act requires all U.S. water utilities serving more than 3,300 people to conduct vulnerability assessments of local water treatment operations and to develop security plans protecting systems from terrorism or sabotage.

“Typically what we are seeing is a new culture of security,” says Jack Hoffbuhr, executive director of the American Water Works Association (AWWA). “Keeping youthful vandals away from the water supply is one thing — protecting the water supply from international terrorists is another.”

The AWAA has estimated $1.6 billion is needed for security upgrades to protect America's water supplies. Security fencing and lighting, CCTV cameras, alarms, bio/chemical water contamination monitoring devices, and employee security are all included.

One American water plant has chosen to install a Loronix digital video system equipped with a software called MotionTrack, that incorporates adaptive digital processing technology to achieve highly sensitive motion detection. It adapts to changes in lighting and/or weather that have traditionally caused video motion detectors to fail.

U.S. dams are also key components of critical infrastructure, providing water and electricity. Idaho Power, an investor-owned, electric utility company headquartered in Boise, has chosen to install similar Loronix digital video equipment to monitor three of the company's dams, their power plants and associated project facilities. Plant operators use the system to view the areas below the dams prior to operating spill gates.