2016 Homeland Security Conference

Cloud computing, mobile devices and apps and automation are some of the top technologies that will affect the future of homeland security, according to a panel of technology officers at the 2016 AFCEA Homeland Security Conference in Washington, D.C.

“If you talk about technologies we’re really leaning on today, of course it’s the usual suspects. We really do need to make better use of virtualized infrastructure, i.e. cloud technologies and services,” said Michael Hermus, chief technology officer, Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is seeking wearable computers to monitor the canines used to protect U.S. borders. The department also seeks a Global Travel Assessment system and Internet of Things security solutions, officials told the 2016 AFCEA Homeland Security Conference audience.

Anyone walking into the Air and Marine Operations Center may at first be impressed with the numerous workstations, the big screens and live video flowing in from cameras mounted on planes and data flowing from a variety of sensors in the United States and elsewhere. But first impressions can be deceiving.

“There’s lots of data flowing in, but it still looks like 1969 in the NASA space center. That model hasn’t changed much,” said Tony Crowder, director of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations Center.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security researchers are pursuing possible partnerships—both domestically and internationally—to continue developing a toolkit that provides access to the digital data stored by cars used in crimes, including terrorist acts.