GSN February Digital Edition

Government Security News 

FEBRUARY 2016 DIGITAL EDITION 

Former Mexican President Calderon tells Trump: “We are not going to pay a single 

cent for such a stupid wall. It’s going to be completely useless.” – More on Page 15 

Also in this issue: 

Elbit Systems cyber subsidiary uncovers Dridex malware persistency and stealth mechanism – Page 6 

U.S./Canadian Governments announce phosphorus reduction of 40% in Lake Erie to improve water and 

reduce public health risk – Page 9 

Logos Technologies deploying aerostat-connected wide-area Simera motion imagery system for Rio De 

Janeiro Summer Olympics – Page 30

GSN February 2016 Digital Edition 

Table of Contents 

GSN TECHNOLOGY SPOTLIGHT 

Energy industry veteran Stephen Trippe, Interim Chair, is ready to take 

Quantum Technology Science to next level in seismic-acoustic detection 

in oil, gas, utilities & critical infrastructure 

Quantum Technology Sciences is a perimeter intrusion detection provider, but an 

unusual one. The seismic-acoustic solution that it offers makes it the first security 

and surveillance company to maintain an awareness perimeter where threats in 

air, water, land are detected, tracked and classified in real time. As the former 

owner of Kimball/Trippe Energy Associates, partner in Saltwater Disposal of North 

Dakota, and managing partner of Longhorn Properties, LLC and ITAP, LLC, Interim 

Chairman Stephen Trippe has all the credentials to help the company reach the 

rapid growth stage that it is ready to enter following the infusion of $8M in venture 

funds. Read more on Page 34. 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx recommends $3.5 billion to expand 

access to transit jobs 

In keeping with the long-standing administration policy of funding new and expanded 

mass transit projects in metropolitan areas across the country, Transportation 

Secretary Foxx has recommended $3.5 billion to advance construction or 

completion of 31 rail, bus, rapid transit and streetcar projects in 18 states, with the 

goal of creating thousands of construction and operations-related jobs and helping 

communities expand opportunities and offer citizens to succeed in the 21st century 

economy. The 15 transit funding projects in 2016 include a downtown riverfront 

streetcar project in Sacramento, the reconstructing the four Chicago Transit Authority 

(CTA) stations and tracks and providing fast, reliable bus service for residents 

in a key corridor in downtown Indianapolis. FTA’s Capital Investment Grant 

(CIG) program is the federal government’s priminary grant program for funding 

major transit investments. Read more on Page 4. 

2

NEWS AND FEATURES 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx recommends 

$3.5 Billion to expand access to transit jobs Page 4 

Elbit Systems’ cyber subsidiary uncovers Dridex 

malware persistency and stealth mechanism Page 6 

U.S./Canadian governments announce phosphorus 

reduction targets of 40% to improve Lake Erie water 

quality and reduce public health risk Page 8 

Convy on Netcentric: The emergence of SMR 

technology drastically reduces cost of massive data 

storage Page 12 

Oregon Senator Merkley lauds efforts of Newport 

Fisherman’s Wives and other Oregonians for helping 

to keep Newport Coast Guard Station on Oregon 

coast Page 14 

Former Mexican President says country not paying 

for a stupid, useless wall! Page 15 

Indiana using license plate campaign to discourage 

distracted drivers Page 16 

NTSB Chairman Hart to discuss Positive Train 

Control, transit safety at March SafeRail Congress 

Page 28 

Perimeter Protection/Intrusion Detection 

____________________________________ 

Québec’s Jean-Lesage International Airport 

prepares for dramatic two-year growth Page 18 

Rapiscan MP100 Backpack radiation detection 

system allows detection of radioactive materials 

Page 22 

Extreme Perimeter Protection: The 22-Ton ‘Xtreme 

Facility Projector’ Booth has it all Page 26 

Oil, Gas, Electric Grid Monitoring 

____________________________________ 

Energy industry veteran Stephen Trippe named 

Interim Chair of Quantum Technology Sciences 

Page 34 

Siemens and IBM team on next generation of 

cloud-based building energy management solutions 

Page 35 

Oil & Gas sector needs long-term thinking to 

achieve meaningful cost cuts, says industry technical 

advisor DNV GL Page 37 

Logos Technology going for the gold as Brazilian 

officials pick its sensor for the Rio Olympics Page 30 

Campbell on Crypto: Encryption Basics: Three 

Steps to Better Data Protection Page 32 

FAA announces nearly 300,000 operators sign on 

to online drone registry Page 39 

3

U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx recommends 

$3.5 Billion to expand access to transit jobs 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation 

Secretary Anthony Foxx today 

highlighted $3.5 billion recommended 

in President Obama’s Fiscal 

Year 2017 budget to advance the 

construction or completion of 31 

rail, bus rapid transit and streetcar 

projects in 18 states. These projects, 

competitively funded through 

the Federal Transit Administration’s 

(FTA) Capital Investment 

Grant (CIG) Program, would create 

thousands of construction and 

operations-related jobs and help 

communities expand transportation 

choices that offer new ladders 

of opportunity for residents. 

“Since 2009, the Obama Administration 

has funded nearly 100 new 

and expanded mass transit projects 

in numerous cities and metropolitan 

areas across the country,” said Secretary 

Foxx. “These projects transform 

communities, improving mobility 

and access to jobs, education 

and other important opportunities 

for millions of people. Public transit 

is an important ally in the effort to 

ensure that hard-working Americans 

are offered a chance to succeed 

in the 21st century economy.” 

The President’s budget includes 

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx 

4 

first-time funding recommendations 

for 15 transit projects. These 

include: 

• The Downtown Riverfront 

Streetcar Project in Sacramento, 

California, which would connect 

the urban cores of Sacramento and 

West Sacramento, serving major 

destinations in both cities, improving 

transit options for residents and 

encouraging transit-oriented development 

along the route; 

• The Red and Purple Line Modernization 

Project Phase One in 

Chicago, Illinois, which would reconstruct 

four Chicago Transit Authority 

(CTA) stations and track in 

order to relieve crowding and congestion 

in one of the transit system’s 

busiest corridors; and 

• The Red Line Bus Rapid Transit 

Project in Indianapolis, Indiana, 

which would provide fast, reliable 

bus service for residents in a key 

corridor serving downtown. Indianapolis 

was one of seven cities 

selected in 2015 to be part of the 

U.S. Department of Transportation’s 

LadderSTEP pilot program, 

an initiative designed to help foster 

sustainable economic development 

related to planned transportation 

projects. 

“FTA is proud to partner with 

communities across the country to 

bring more transportation options 

to residents and help accommodate 

our nation’s growing population,” 

said FTA Acting Administrator 

Therese McMillan. “These investments 

in public transportation will 

improve the mobility and quality of 

life for thousands of residents, provide 

an alternative to traffic congestion, 

and spur more economically 

vibrant communities.” 

FTA’s highly competitive CIG 

More on page 31

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of career possibilities for you. 

In today’s world, security is more important than ever. Which means there is 

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Security Management from University of Phoenix, you can reach new heights 

in this growing field. We offer a Bachelor of Science in Security Management, 

an Associate of Arts in Security Management and certificate programs that are 

aligned to the Security Competency Model, written by University of Phoenix and 

recently validated and published by the U.S. Department of Labor. 

To learn more, visit phoenix.edu/security. 

For more information about each of these programs, including on-time completion rates, the median debt incurred by students who completed the program and other important information, 

please visit phoenix.edu/programs/gainful-employment. 

While widely available, not all programs are available in all locations or in both online and on-campus formats.Please check with a University Enrollment Representative. The University’s Central 

Administration is located at 1625 W. Fountainhead Pkwy., Tempe, AZ 85282. Online Campus: 3157 E. Elwood St., Phoenix, AZ 85034. © 2015 University of Phoenix, Inc. All rights reserved. | CJS-4156

Elbit Systems’ cyber subsidiary uncovers Dridex 

malware persistency and stealth mechanism 

CYBERBIT, Elbit Systems’ whollyowned 

subsidiary, announced today 

that it uncovered for the first time, 

the Dridex malware’s advanced and 

sophisticated persistency mechanism, 

allowing organizations to detect 

and remove the malware. 

The unique analysis was revealed 

by CYBERBIT’s dedicated malware 

research expert team, who managed 

to conduct a detailed dynamic 

behavioral analysis of the Dridex 

malware, fully revealing its infection 

process and persistency mechanism. 

Part of Dridex’ robustness is 

attributed to its ability to constantly 

generate new variants for each attack, 

thus going undetected under 

AV engines. CYBERBIT’s malware 

research team, a group of specialists 

who analyze malwares and security 

threats in order to enrich CYBER- 

BIT’s analyses methods and algorithms, 

managed to reveal Dridex’ 

persistency 

mechanism, 

which allows 

it to 

remain 

uncovered 

and undetected 

due to its 

unique mode of operation. 

Since its appearance 

in late 2014, Dridex 

has been one of the 

most notable malware 

threats, designed to 

steal personal banking 

information and credentials 

mostly from 

small and mediumsized 

organizations. 

Dridex malware attacks 

are said to be responsible 

for the theft of over $50 million, 

out of which $30 million was 

stolen from UK accounts alone. 

The criminal forces behind Dridex 

are believed to have links to similar 

cybercrime gangs. CYBERBIT suspects 

that such criminal organizations 

experience from previous activities 

are those that allow Dridex 

authors and affiliates to keep their 

infrastructure alive and to stay active 

and dangerous. 

CYBERBIT will present and 

demonstrate its detection of 

advanced threats capabilities at 

the CYBERTECH 2016 Exhibition 

(booth F), January 26-27, 2016 

at the Israel Trade Fair and 

Convention Center. 

CYBERBIT’s products collect 

6 

and analyze information in greater 

depth and context over time and 

space and provide ad-hoc forensics 

and response capabilities, for both 

IT and SCADA networks, while 

assuring minimum time for mitigation, 

remediation and response. 

CYBERBIT’s technology is developed 

by skilled, updated and competent 

personnel, and it supplies 

live hands-on training that keeps its 

customers efficient and savvy. 

Security threats in the 21st century 

are more complex, more sophisticated, 

and stealthier than 

ever – with an estimated 70%-90% 

of malwares, which are unique to a 

specific targeted organization, managing 

to bypass traditional security 

tools.

Enterprises just can’t afford to 

keep using technologies and methods 

that don’t work. CYBERBIT understands 

that in order to detect and 

respond quickly and efficiently to 

advanced unknown threats, organizational 

security has to be changed. 

Detection and response cycles must 

become optimal and short, leveraging 

granular information pieces as 

well as past knowledge, automating 

processes and capabilities, and allowing 

the organization to be agile, 

alert and prompt. CYBERBIT’s solutions 

aim to empower its customers 

by providing them with a different 

level of detection, response, 

forensics and mitigation capabilities 

and allowing them to operate rapidly, 

efficiently and accurately. 

About Elbit Systems 

Elbit Systems Ltd. Is an international 

high technology company engaged 

in a wide range of defense, homeland 

security and commercial programs 

throughout the world. The 

Company, which includes Elbit Systems 

and its subsidiaries, operates 

in the areas of aerospace, land and 

naval systems, command, control, 

communications, computers, intelligence 

surveillance and reconnaissance 

(“C4ISR”), unmanned aircraft 

systems, advanced electro-optics, 

electro-optic space systems, EW 

suites, signal intelligence systems, 

data links and communications systems, 

radios and cyber-based systems. 

The Company also focuses on 

the upgrading of existing platforms, 

developing new technologies for defense, 

homeland security and commercial 

applications and providing 

a range of support services, including 

training and simulation systems. 

For additional information, visit: 

www.elbitsystems.com, follow us on 

Twitter or visit our official Youtube 

Channel. 

DATA THAT MATTERS 

SECURITY THAT DELIVERS 

AMERISTARSECURITY.COM | 888-333-3422 

7

U.S./Canadian governments announce phosphorus 

reduction targets of 40% to improve Lake Erie water 

quality and reduce public health risk 

WASHINGTON - U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency Administrator 

Gina McCarthy and Canada’s 

Environment and Climate Change 

Minister Catherine McKenna have 

announced that Canada and the 

U.S. have adopted targets to reduce 

phosphorus entering affected areas 

of Lake Erie by 40 percent. The 

targets announced today will minimize 

the extent of low oxygen “dead 

zones” in the central basin of Lake 

Erie; maintain algae growth at a 

level consistent with healthy aquatic 

ecosystems; and maintain algae biomass 

at levels that do not produce 

toxins that pose a threat to human 

or ecosystem health. 

Through the Great Lakes Water 

Quality Agreement, Canada and the 

United States committed in 2012 to 

combat the growing threat of toxic 

and nuisance algae development in 

Lake Erie, and agreed to develop updated 

binational phosphorus reduction 

targets for Lake Erie by February 

2016. The 40 percent reduction 

targets are based on 2008 loading 

levels. Canada and the United States 

have committed to develop domestic 

action plans, by no later than 

February 2018, to help meet the 

new targets. 

“To protect public health, we must 

8 

restore the Great Lakes for all those 

who depend on them,” said Gina 

McCarthy, Administrator, United 

States Environmental Protection 

Agency. “The first step in our urgent 

work together to protect Lake 

Erie from toxic algae, harmful algal 

blooms, and other effects of nutrient 

runoff, is to establish these important 

phosphorus limits. But, establishing 

these targets is not the end 

of our work together. We are already 

taking action to meet them.” 

The Honourable Catherine McKenna, 

Minister of Environment 

and Climate Change said, “Canada 

recognizes the urgency and magnitude 

of the threat to Lake Erie water 

quality and ecosystem health posed 

by toxic and nuisance algal blooms. 

By establishing these targets, we 

strengthen our resolve to work with 

our American neighbours, and Canadian 

and U.S. stakeholders who 

share these waters, to protect the 

tremendous natural resource that is 

Lake Erie.” 

Algae occur naturally in freshwater 

systems. They are essential to the 

aquatic food web and healthy ecosystems. 

However, too much algae, 

linked to high amounts of phosphorus, 

can lead to conditions that can

harm human health and the environment. 

Since the 1990s, Lake Erie 

has seen an increase in algal growth 

that has compromised water quality 

and threatens the Lake Erie region’s 

recreation-intensive economy. The 

targets were developed after extensive 

public input from a diversity of 

sectors. 

Quick Facts 

• The 2015 harmful algal bloom in 

Lake Erie was recorded as the largest 

bloom this century. 

• Modeling experts from the United 

States and Canada used nine different 

computer simulation models 

to correlate changes 

in phosphorus levels 

with levels of algal 

growth in order to 

determine phosphorus 

load reduction 

targets. 

• A binational public consultation 

process was held between June 30 

and August 31, 2015. Final targets 

were established following widespread 

support for the draft targets 

and the target setting process. 

• More than 40 Canadian and 

American experts formed a binational 

team under the leadership of 

Environment and Climate Change 

Canada and the United 

States Environmental 

Protection Agency to 

develop the targets. 

• In Canada, more 

than 50 individuals, 

groups and agencies representing 

Agricultural and other 

non-government organizations, 

Conservation Authorities, municipal 

governments, Ontario government 

agencies, First Nations, and 

Universities commented on the 

draft targets through an on-line tool 

and face-to-face discussions. 

POWER TO PROTECT 

SECURING WHAT MATTERS MOST 

AMERISTARSECURITY.COM | 888-333-3422 

9

GSN’s 2016 Airport, Seaport, Border Security 

Awards Program 

OPENING FOR ENTRIES ON MONDAY, MARCH 10 AT: 

www.asbsecurityawards.com 

Join the hundreds of national and international security 

vendors and government agencies that were honored 

in prior GSN programs for notable contributions to 

Airport and Aviation Security, Maritime/Port Security, 

Border Security and Immigration. 

Important Dates: 

March 14 – Program opens for entries 

May 3 – Program closes for entries 

May 9 – Finalists Announced 

May 16 – Awards Dinner, Washington DC 

Past Awards Dinner Speakers have included Fran Townsend, 

who was Advisor to President George W. Bush after 9/11, 

Four Star General Barry McCaffrey (RET), the highly decorated 

General who also served as U.S. Drug Czar, and Coast Guard 

Admiral Thad Allen, who came out of retirement twice to serve 

his country – the first time during Hurricane Katrina and the 

second time in the BP Oil Spill. 

See photos of seven years of GSN Awards Programs at: 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/44536438@N06/

New generation. 

New possibilities. 

Secure your site with the new F3 Series Fence 

Controllers, the latest in perimeter protection. 

Find out more at security.gallagher.com/latest-releases 

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Convy on Netcentric Security 

The emergence of SMR technology 

drastically reduces cost of massive 

data storage 

By John Convy, Convy Associates, Washington, DC 

Analysts predict that the world will 

absorb somewhere between 20 and 

30 billion connected devices within 

the next five years. This rapid trend 

towards greater connectivity is also 

driving up demand for large volume 

data storage capacity. 

This is true in both government 

and commercial sectors, and as agencies 

and companies become more 

mobile-dependent, the demand for 

more and better information retention 

and protection will continue to 

increase. 

Vendors in the storage space have 

scrambled to meet the needs of enterprises 

for high capacity storage in 

a world brimming with near infinite 

digital creation and consumption. 

There are many viable options on 

the market for deep data storage and 

protection but, since most of these 

are designed for the large-scale, 

high-technology environments of 

modern organizations, costs can be 

prohibitive for some. The cost versus 

capability challenge is one that 

the government sector knows all too 

well. 

The Most Affordable Large Scale 

Digital Preservation 

12 

I recently had the privilege of collaborating 

on an industry presentation 

with Ray Heineman, Senior Vice 

President, Business Development, 

Video Security and Surveillance 

Products for Spectra Logic, based in 

Boulder, Colorado. I was intrigued 

by his company’s approach to efficient, 

yet affordable storage solutions, 

designed to meet the evolving 

needs of an increasingly connected 

world, and particularly how Spectra 

Logic’s technology can be useful in 

government security. 

Many agencies are following along 

the curve of global connectivity. As 

they expand their security and surveillance 

networking systems and 

bring on new devices that create digital 

information – each with its own 

software and management applications 

– they end up with multiple silos 

of systems within a diverse infrastructure. 

Each system tends to have 

its own retention scheme, which is 

not necessarily shared across applications 

or networks. This generates 

a tricky information retention challenge. 

Heineman’s colleagues at Spectra 

Logic describe themselves as Deep 

Storage Experts, and as such, are 

committed to addressing the expectations 

of the data protection market 

with intelligent, integrated, and 

easy-to-use backup and archive technologies. 

The company recently announced 

a new product, Verde DPE, 

a disk-based, networked attached 

storage solution, which means it is 

file-based instead of block-based. 

The designers have applied cuttingedge 

Shingled Magnetic Recording 

(SMR) technology as a way to increase 

storage density and overall 

per-drive storage capacity. 

In the early days of hard disk recording, 

information was formatted 

in longitudinal files. As technology 

changed, the files were flipped vertically, 

creating Perpendicular Magnetic 

Recording (PMR), and thus 

increasing capacity. 

“The SMR technology we are now 

utilizing exploits the capability of

PMR even further, by ‘shingling’ the 

data. Overlapping shingles eliminate 

the wasted space of a PMR drive 

and increase capacity by 25 percent,” 

Heineman explained. 

“This technology allows disk companies 

to turn a six terabyte drive into 

an eight terabyte drive with fewer 

parts and lower cost to produce and 

manufacture, effectively affording us 

the ability to offer greater capacity 

for about half the cost of comparable 

industry solutions,” he added. 

In terms of overall cost effectiveness, 

Spectra Logic’s offering is one 

the best in the business, I believe. 

Their marketing materials mention a 

cost as low as nine cents per gigabyte 

on an 800 terabyte expansion node. 

This should be welcome news for 

agencies that need large amounts of 

instantly accessible storage at an affordable 

price – maybe not as low as 

the cost of tape storage, but faster to 

access. 

Typical Use Cases 

Law enforcement, for example, can 

benefit from the SMR technology 

and lower storage costs. 

When you think about the workflow 

of a law enforcement agency, 

you realize there is a lot of information 

being created that must be retained. 

Officers may be dealing with 

a case management system, an evidence 

management system, and a records 

management system. And, as 

Heineman pointed out to me, even 

computer-aided dispatch is a source 

of data and digital information, since 

many two-way radios used by law 

enforcement are now digital transmissions, 

rather than traditional analog 

radio signals. 

Also within the scope of government 

are critical surveillance and 

video management systems – most 

notably, systems employed to secure 

the power grid and critical infrastructure. 

For regulatory compliance, organizations 

must also consider the 

requirements for retaining key data 

for a specified period of time. In the 

state of Texas, independent and charter 

school districts are now required 

to save video from schools with children 

in special education programs. 

Heineman said that one of the school 

districts he is working with has a requirement 

for four petabytes of storage 

for each of their schools. That 

amount of storage may sound like a 

scary number for some, but it is the 

hard reality in today’s marketplace. 

The way in which various users interact 

with large volumes of data is 

fluid and variable. If the data is active 

– meaning people are accessing the 

files and editing or adding to the data 

– there is a huge demand for bandwidth. 

However, as the information 

gets older and is not being touched 

every day, it can be transitioned to an 

archive storage system. These varied 

13 

needs demand massively scalable solutions 

that are available and reliable. 

Spectra Logic deploys open platform 

file storage systems with a 

high-end Unix-type OS, which 

makes them high-performance, 

high-value solutions with low latency 

and high reliability. They also 

offer configurability and customization 

through the use of expansion 

nodes and varying drive capacity 

options. While they certainly are not 

the only deep storage option on the 

market, they currently appear to be 

one of the most cost-effective and a 

good choice for government use. 

Seagate has also rolled out SMR offerings, 

and as this technology continues 

to evolve, I predict we will see 

acquisition costs come down further. 

As other players in the enterprise 

storage industry begin to implement 

and perfect SMR technology, it will 

become even more accessible across 

a broader market. 

John Convy and Convy Associates 

provide strategic alliance, A&E consultant, 

technology ecosystem, and 

lead generation programs to monetize 

relationships and accelerate demand 

for leading security industry manufacturers. 

John is the Founder and 

Managing Director of the Open Standards 

Security Alliance and the IP 

Security Academy, and a speaker at 

many global industry events. Email: 

John@ConvyAssociates.com

Oregon Senator Merkley lauds efforts of Newport 

Fisherman’s Wives and other Oregonians for 

helping to keep Newport Coast Guard Station on 

Oregon coast. 

Dear Friends, 

The U.S. Coast Guard helicopter facility in Newport 

has helped save many lives over the years. 

Recently, we took a big step forward to ensure that 

this invaluable resource is ready to assist when the 

distress call comes. A provision in the Coast Guard 

Authorization Act of 2015 that passed the Senate in 

December and is now on its way to the President’s 

desk to be signed into law will keep the Newport 

Coast Guard facility open for at least two more years, 

and make it much more difficult for East Coast bureaucrats 

to close it thereafter. 

Since 2014 when news came out that the Coast 

Guard wanted to remove air rescue from the Newport 

Coast Guard station, I and so many others in Oregon 

– including the Newport Fishermen’s Wives – have 

been fighting to keep the helicopter to make sure Oregonians 

and visitors are safe. 

Learn more about my work to save the helo: 

Merkley.senate.gov 

Newport is home to Oregon’s largest grossing commercial 

fishing fleet, a deep draft port, numerous 

science and research vessels from Oregon State University, 

and a robust recreational and sport fishing industry 

that is critical to the local economy. 

Losing the Newport Coast Guard helicopter would 

Photo from visit to the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station at Newport 

put lives at risk all along the Oregon coast. In the cold 

waters off our shores, people in harm’s way don’t have 

the luxury of waiting an hour or more for rescue. 

It’s crucial that we are keeping this lifesaving facility 

operating on Oregon’s central coast. 

I’ll keep fighting to ensure Oregon’s coastal communities 

always have the resources they need and so we 

never have to worry about this crucial facility closing 

again. 

All my best, 

Jeff Merkley 

14

Former Mexican President says country 

not paying for a stupid, useless wall! 

By Wendy Feliz 

For the past several months, GOP 

presidential candidate Donald 

Trump has taken a harsh stance 

on immigration, stating more than 

once that he would finish the wall 

between the U.S. and Mexico and 

ensure that Mexico pays for it. 

For the first time, according 

to NBC News, a Mexican official 

has pushed back. Over the 

weekend, at a business summit 

in Egypt, former Mexican President 

Felipe Calderon (2006- 

2012) said, “We are not going 

to pay any single cent for such a 

stupid wall! And it’s going to be 

completely useless.” 

Calderon noted the drop in net 

migration from Mexico, which 

according to the Pew Research 

Center has been on the decline for 

years. The number of Mexicans 

coming to the United States each 

year is now lower than the number 

leaving. However, the other critical 

point Calderon made was that sealing 

yourself off from one of your 

largest trading partners is bad for 

business. Calderon said: 

“The first loser of such a policy 

would be the United States. If this 

guy pretends that closing the borders 

to anywhere either for trade 

[or] for people is going to provide 

prosperity to the United States, he is 

completely crazy.” 

Calderon makes an important 

point. Mexico is the United States’ 

third largest trading partner, after 

Canada and China, in terms of total 

trade in goods, while the U.S. is 

Mexico’s largest trading partner. It 

Former Mexican President Felipe Calderon 

seems a bad policy position coming 

from Trump, who prides himself on 

his business acumen. 

Related Content: The Important Economic 

Relationship of Mexico and 

the United States 

Consider this. In calendar year 2011, 

the two nations had a total trade in 

goods of $460.6 billion and, in 2012, 

the total amount of goods traded 

was $494 billion. Combined, trade in 

goods and services between Mexico 

and the United States totaled more 

15 

than $500 billion in 2011. And in 

2012, that number was up to $535.9 

billion. As such, six million American 

jobs depend upon the U.S. trade 

relationship with Mexico. Also in 

2012, in terms of imports, Mexico 

was the United States third largest 

supplier of goods, with the U.S. receiving 

$277.7 billion worth of 

goods from Mexico. 

Rather than building a wall, 

perhaps the billionaire businessman 

should focus on policies 

that improve the flow of trade 

between the two countries by 

devising plans to upgrade the 47 

land ports of entry which facilitate 

hundreds of billions of dollars 

in U.S.-Mexico trade every 

year. Things like improved infrastructure 

at the land ports of entry 

along the southern border, including 

additional traffic lanes and 

processing personnel, would allow 

more efficient and secure trade and 

border crossing. These improvements 

translate into direct economic 

benefits to border communities 

and states. 

Sensible and practical policies that 

ensure security, but also improve 

trade, may not make for exciting 

political slogans or talking points. 

They’re just good for the economy. 

Photo by José Daniel Ojeda Rojas

Indiana using license plate campaign 

to discourage distracted drivers 

By Steve Bittenbender 

Beginning at the start of the year, 

the state of Indiana unveiled a new 

campaign to discourage people 

from driving while distracted. 

State officials are partnering with 

the Indiana Motor Truck Association 

to keep people 

from using their 

phones while they’re 

behind the wheel. 

They’re hopeful to 

catch the drivers’ attention 

with a new 

specialty license plate 

as well as use the proceeds 

from the plate 

to further the association’s 

educational 

initiatives. 

“The Indiana Motor 

Truck Association 

exists to represent 

and promote highway safety for 

not only the trucking industry but 

for all drivers,” said Gary Langston, 

president of the IMTA. “Our industry 

has come to witness firsthand 

the dire consequences of distracted 

driving — and so have decided to 

confront it by selling a plate that 

alerts others of this issue and funds 

programs that help keep Indiana 

drivers safe on the road.” 

The license plate reads put “Put 

the Phone Down” and is available 

for purchase at any state Bureau of 

Motor Vehicle. It can be registered 

to any passenger car, motorcycle, 

recreational vehicle or truck under 

11,000 pounds. Of the $40 fee, the 

association receives $25 toward the 

IMTA’s educational efforts. 

One of the programs the IMTA 

employs is the “Save a Life” tour, 

which is a multimedia event that 

includes driving simulators, an intense 

video and educational presentations. 

The tour has visited more 

16 

than 1,500 colleges, 600 high schools 

and 150 military installations. 

The IMTA isn’t the only organization 

that’s been seeking to reduce 

the number of accidents tied to texting 

and driving. Four years ago, Attorney 

General Greg Zoeller created 

a partnership with AT&T to raise 

awareness of the issue. 

“The rise of technology 

continues to 

present new dangers, 

particular to young 

people,” Zoeller said. 

“With this new license 

plate and the 

continued education 

and awareness efforts 

conducted by the Indiana 

Motor Truck 

Association, I grow 

more confident that 

drivers, young and 

old, will be safer on Indiana’s roads.” 

Studies indicate distracted drivers 

cause nearly 80 percent of all automobile 

accidents. That not only includes 

drivers who text, but drivers 

under the influence of alcohol or illegal 

substances. 

In many cases, those accidents 

turn tragic. In Indiana alone, nearly

800 people die each year in accidents 

on Hoosier roads. Doug Carter, the 

superintendent for the Indiana State 

Police says that accidents caused by 

distracted drivers are the most preventable. 

“We’re proud to support the IM- 

TA’s ongoing efforts, and we’ll continue 

doing our part to keep Hoosiers 

safe on Indiana roads and 

highways,” he added. 

Officials hope the message especially 

catches on with younger drivers, 

as they are both the newest on 

the streets and the ones most likely 

to use their cell phones or other 

smart devices while behind the 

wheel. 

“To ensure the current and future 

safety of all Hoosier motorists, we 

must educate our younger drivers 

about the real dangers of driving 

while distracted,” BMV Commissioner 

Kent Abernathy said. “This 

program goes a long way toward accomplishing 

this goal, and the Indiana 

BMV is wholly supportive.” 

Besides the Attorney General’s office, 

the BMV and the state police, 

other state agencies participating in 

the campaign include the Department 

of Revenue and the Department 

of Transportation. 

For additional information visit 

http://www.intrucking.org/licenseplate. 

17


Québec’s Jean-Lesage International Airpo 

JANUARY 8, 2016 – Its first hangers 

were constructed by the Royal Canadian 

Aviation Corps in 1941, it was 

taken over by the Ministry of Transportation 

from National Defense in 

1945, and it was privatized on November 

1, 2000. Today the Québec 

Jean-Lesage International Airport is 

the 12th largest in Canada, serving 

Canada, the United States, the Caribbean 

and South American, with 

seasonal flights to Europe. 

In a comprehensive presentation 

and tour of the airport by David 

Robin, Manager Security and Safety, 

and Christian Labrosse, Director 

Security and Operational Control 

Center, a group of security industry 

journalists from the U.S. and Canada 

learned of preparations for another 

dramatic step forward in the 

evolution of the 12th largest airport 

in Canada. 

The event was hosted by Genetec 

Inc. of Montréal and its CEO Pierre 

Racz as part of the company’s annual 

Press Summit. Genetec is a provider 

of IP security solutions that 

pioneered the first-ever IP video 

management software and is today 

a global provider of IP video 

surveillance, access control and 

automatic license plate recognition 

(ALPR) in a unified platform 

called Security Center, now in 

use by the Aéroport International 

Jean-Lesage de Québec. 

In 2015 the airport welcomed 1.6 

million passengers, a figure that 

is expected to grow to 2-million 

passengers by 2018. All revenues 

from the airport are dedicated 

to growth, and with a construction 

budget of $277-million, terminal 

expansion is projected to 

double from 270,000 square feet 

to 540,000 square feet. The planning 

also includes a lot of smaller 

projects that are not visible to visitors 

and passengers but accommodate 

airport parking and internal 

needs, said Robin, who added that 

the goals are to develop efficient and 

safe facilities for the airport’s anticipated 

growth. 

The Airport’s development path 

also includes U.S. pre-clearance, according 

to Christian Labrosse, following 

a visit on April 29, 2015 to 

18 

the Airport by officials from the U.S. 

Department of Homeland Security. 

The benefits from this update include 

ending the need for aircrafts 

to be moved from international to 

domestic gates and new terminals 

as well as plans for additional connections 

with Europe in the next 5 

or 10 years. 

Canadian airports must deal 

with multiple entities, according to 

Labrosse. These include Transport

t prepares for dramatic two-year growth 

Canada, the Airport Authority and 

CATSA (Canadian Air Transport 

Security Authority), which is the 

Canadian equivalent of the TSA in 

the United States. CATSA makes 

extensive background checks on 

all employees and service providers 

that interact on the property at 

Jean-Lesage Airport. Hence the airport 

uses biometrics and ID cards 

provided by HID to manage access 

to restricted areas. 

19 

The Airport Authority is responsible 

for the public side, while the 

airport side is completely restricted 

to the public and only open to aircraft 

and authorized vehicles. Security 

for the airport is handled by 

the private company Garda, which 

is responsible for guard personnel, 

patrol officers and terminal officers. 

Duties of the airport terminal officers 

include; identity checks, access 

control, incident and alarms 

response, crowd control, emergency 

response and evacuation, international 

arrivers, behavior observation 

and threat alert and terminal 

patrols. Patrol officers are generally 

more experienced experts on security 

procedures who patrol the land 

side and airline side and can give 

tickets. A special driver’s permit is 

required for access to the airport 

apron, which feeds the taxi-ways for 

aircraft. Patrol officers also provide 

checks on vehicles, access control, 

alarm systems emergency protocols, 

incident reports and unusual behavior. 

For their part, Surveillance and 

Dispatch officers in the operations 

control center (OCC) deal with 

communication dispatches, information 

gathering, cameras and access 

control investigations, information 

reports and incident reports. 

There are about 2,500 people in 

all who work for --or provide services 

in the airport, and must have 

federal and local clearance to access 

secured areas of the terminal. Approximately 

260 cameras are presently 

deployed, but this number will 

doubled in the next years. 

Access control systems and video 

management systems (VMS) are 

integrated through the Genetec 

Security Center to ensure that all 

passengers and staff accessing the 

airport are secure and validated for 

the appropriate level of access, monitored 

by cameras that can zoom 

in to get details from long-range 

cameras and new high-definition 

(HD) cameras on curb-side that


can clearly identify license plates. 

AXIS Communications and Panasonic 

have provided fixed and PTZ 

cameras, and the airport has plans 

to have all IP cameras when the new 

expansion is completed in 2018. 

Additional cameras and video 

surveillance/access control are managed 

by the Canadian Air Transport 

Security Authority (CATSA), a Federal 

Canadian organization based in 

Ottawa, ON. 

During a walking tour of the airport, 

Messrs. Robin and Labrosse 

included a visit to the new baggage 

management facility under the terminal, 

and its 

first in North 

America 

direct coded 

vehicle 

technology, 

which can 

track a bag 

anywhere so 

that no bags 

are lost as they go through the various 

levels of threat detection. If the 

threat is serious, the next stop is the 

Emergency Control Center operated 

by the Duty Manager, who calls 

in the police if necessary. 

In special baggage transportation 

technology from Provectus Robotics 

solutions (PRS), a Canadian robotics 

company, suspicious bags are 

automatically evacuated to the other 

end of the airport for police investigation. 

Prior to this technology’s 

deployment, the entire airport had 

to be evacuated while waiting hours 

for police to arrive. With the help of 

a radio-guided vehicle, suspicious 

bags can now be safely and immediately 

removed from the airport and 

no evacuations of passengers or airport 

staff are necessary. 

Will the Jean-Lesage de Quebec 

International Airport meet its goal 

of 2-million passengers by 2018? 

The answer is not yet known of 

course, but the Airport has continued 

to grow and evolve its unified 

security and operations with the 

Genetec Security Center over the 

past ten years. Combine that with 

a security team in charge of day-today 

security operations that must 

constantly scale to meet the needs 

20 

of expanding access control and increasing 

video surveillance cameras, 

and it starts to look very much like 

a prospect that we wouldn’t want to 

bet against. 

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Rapiscan MP100 Backpack radiation 

detection system allows detection of 

radioactive materials 

FEBRUARY 10, 2016, Rapiscan 

Systems, a leading global supplier 

of security inspection systems, today 

announced the expansion of its 

radiation detection product line to 

include the Rapiscan MP100 Backpack 

radiation detection system. 

The MP100 is a lightweight, high 

performance 

solution that 

can detect radiological 

and 

nuclear materials 

and is 

housed within 

a compact 

commercial 

backpack, 

making it ideal for covert radiation 

inspection. 

President Obama has cited the 

danger of a terrorist acquiring nuclear 

weapons as “the most immediate 

and extreme threat to global 

security,” and U.S. Customs and 

Border Protection has indicated 

that “nuclear and radiological materials 

are of particular concern 

because of their potential to harm 

large numbers of people and disrupt 

the U.S. economy.” In fact, over the 

last two decades more than 2,500 

incidents of trafficking radioactive 

material have been reported to the 

International Atomic Energy Agency 

(IAEA) by member states. 

The MP100 Backpack radiation 

detection system is designed for 

ease of operation 

and 

makes radiation 

detection 

as easy as simply 

walking 

around. It includes 

a long 

battery life 

that supports 

extended deployment, as well as the 

following additional features: 

• Gamma and optional neutron 

radiation detection. The MP100’s 

PVT gamma radiation detectors 

detect gamma radiation emitted 

by medical and industrial isotopes, 

which can be used in a dirty bomb. 

They also detect Special Nuclear 

Materials, such as uranium and 

plutonium, which are needed for 

a nuclear weapon. The addition of 

optional Boron-10 neutron radiation 

detectors enables the MP100 

to detect Special Nuclear Materials 

that are shielded, such as in a dense 

metal container. 

• Meets U.S. and international 

standards. The radiation detection 

performance of the MP100 meets 

the requirements of U.S. and international 

standards for backpack radiation 

monitors. The U.S. standard, 

ANSI N42.53, and its international 

equivalent, IEC 62694, address 

homeland security concerns and illicit 

trafficking inspection applications. 

• Integrates with Android mobile 

devices. The MP100 can be operated 

as a standalone radiation monitor 

with alarms signaled audibly in the 

operator’s earpiece. Alternatively, 

the MP100 can connect wirelessly 

to a mobile Android device, such as 

a smartphone or tablet, running the 

free Rapiscan RadViewer app. With 

its intuitive graphical user interface, 

Rapiscan’s RadViewer presents a 

wealth of information about radiation 

measurements and alarms and 

helps direct the operator to a radiation 

source. 

“Today’s terrorists don’t need 

special nuclear materials, such as 

uranium and plutonium, to create 

chaos. A small quantity of radioactive 

material that is routinely and 

More on page 27 

22

SecuGen Unveils Ultra-Low Cost 

Hamster Pro Fingerprint Reader and 

UPx OEM Sensor at RSA Conference 2016 

print readers include PIV and FAP 

20 certified models and now includes 

the Hamster Pro for circumstances 

where PIV certification is 

not required but a low cost option is 

mandatory. SecuGen’s product line 

also includes dual mode products 

that combine contact and contactless 

smartcard readers together with 

SecuGen’s rugged and accurate fingerprint 

sensors. 

The Hamster Pro fingerprint 

reader and the companion UPx 

OEM sensor will both be released in 

March of this year and will be compatible 

with SecuGen’s software development 

kits for Windows, Linux, 

and Android. 

VP of Engineering Dan Riley stated, 

“The SecuGen engineering team 

keeps coming up with new ways to 

reduce costs. The Hamster Pro fingerprint 

reader and UPx sensor are 

remarkable in that they combine the 

ability to capture a high contrast, 

high quality image with rock bottom 

prices. These truly are amazing 

products!” 

Won Lee, CEO of SecuGen, said, 

“Our focus is always to deliver the 

high quality products and tools that 

SANTA CLARA, CA, February 15 

- SecuGen, a world leading optical 

fingerprint device and technology 

vendor, is pleased to announce that 

they will be unveiling a new, lower 

cost fingerprint reader, the Hamster 

Pro, at the RSA Conference 2016 in 

San Francisco’s Moscone Center. 

Developers are invited to come 

by SecuGen’s booth, number 4615 

in the North Hall of Moscone Center 

in San Francisco to see a demonstration 

of the new, low cost fingerprint 

reader and accompanying 

OEM sensor. 

The Hamster Pro is a compact, accurate, 

and robust fingerprint reader, 

being offered at an incredibly 

low price. SecuGen is well known 

around the world and throughout 

the biometrics industry for providing 

high quality fingerprint products 

at prices suitable for large 

deployments. The Hamster Pro is 

SecuGen’s lowest price fingerprint 

reader to date. 

The UPx is the OEM version of 

the same product. The UPx is compact 

for easy integration and very 

low priced for large deployments. 

SecuGen’s complete line of fingerour 

reseller partners require. Our 

engineering team had done it again 

with the UPx sensor and the Hamster 

Pro. These are exactly the products 

that our partners have been 

asking for.” 

About SecuGen 

SecuGen Corporation (www.secugen.com) 

is the world’s leading 

provider of advanced, optical fingerprint 

recognition technology, 

products, tools and platforms for 

physical and information security. 

SecuGen designs and develops 

FBI-certified fingerprint readers 

and OEM components, developer 

kits and software, including NIST/ 

MINEX-compliant algorithms. 

Known for high quality, ruggedness, 

and performance in a wide variety 

of applications and environmental 

conditions, SecuGen products are 

used by world-leading financial, 

medical, government, educational 

and corporate institutions and are 

sold through an extensive partner 

network of reseller partners including 

original equipment manufacturers, 

independent software vendors 

and system integrators around the 

world. 

23

Exciting News from the 

News Leader in Physical, IT and Homeland Security 


announces two major initiatives 

New, Mobile-Friendly 

Website 

GSN’s website has shown the highest 

homeland security visitor traffic for 2 years, 

according to Alexa.com. And it will only 

grow when visitors discover the fabulous 

new introductory rates being offered below 

for advertisers: 

Buy a monthly Wide 

Skyscraper, Large Rectangle 

or Leaderboard and get 

a same-size additional 

insertion at no cost. Offer is 

valid for all advertisers in 

the first six months of 2016! 

Expanded Schedule of 

Digital Editions 

As the Digital revolution attracts ever more 

readers and advertisers, GSN is welcoming 

the new year with an expanded schedule 

of Digital editions – monthly Digital issues 

each month, supplemented by Print editions 

at all major conferences and expos. 

Advertisers get lower rates, 

readers enjoy links to 

websites, case studies, 

white papers, plus video 

integration, click to purchase 

and content delivery around 

the world! 

The News Leader in Physical, IT and Homeland Security • www.gsnmagazine.com


Extreme Perimeter Protection: The 22-Ton 

‘Xtreme Facility Projector’ Booth has it all 

LOS ANGELES, CA – Selecting a 

guard booth to enhance perimeter 

protection is a serious commitment. 

B.I.G.’s bullet-resistant prefabricated 

model boosts superior fit and finish, 

and the utmost in protection. 

At 120 square feet, The Xtreme Facility 

Projector is built t MIL- 

A-12560H, UFC 3-340-01 and 

UFC 3-340-02 specifications. 

This booth is the top defender 

made today. The booth delivers 

the highest level of ballistic 

and blast-resistance available 

in the industry, allowing security 

personnel to remain effective 

in the midst of the most 

extreme emergency situation. 

In addition, when properly 

installed, the unit is capable of 

withstanding a direct hit from 

an F5 tornado. While this level 

of protection may seem extreme 

for some applications, it 

serves as an example of B.I.G.’s commitment 

to building guard booths 

that can meet any challenge. Sensitive 

installations of all descriptions, 

including data storage centers, nuclear 

installations and military complexes 

can benefit from the Xtreme 

Facility Protector’s defensive capabilities. 

It’s no wonder myriad government, 

energy and business entities 

look to B.I.G. to enhance their perimeter 

protection strategies. Many 

are being proactive because guard 

booths are a first line of defense. Security 

personnel need facilities that 

The Xtreme Facility Protector Booth 

allow them to function effectively 

while under duress, giving them a 

physical advantage over potential 

threats. These security structures 

must be configuration-friendly, fabricated 

from the best materials, and 

constructed to adapt to a wide-variety 

of climatic conditions and site 

applications. 

26 

The Xtreme Faility Protector 

booths are designed to incorporate 

a variety of security choices and 

creature comforts. Options include: 

sliding gun ports with quick-release 

locks, ballistic window visors, and 

can accommodate the extensive 

electrical infrastructure needed 

to support security, communications 

and surveillance 

equipment. 

Pre-wiring makes installation 

a snap. Personnel benefit 

from ergonomically correct 

fixtures and fittings, a ductless, 

split-system HVAC, full installation 

package, and energysaving 

LED lighting. 

Unique to B.I.G booths is 

the prep and painting system, 

which is completed prior 

to shipping. Since the booth 

must function in a variety 

of harsh climatic conditions, 

The Xtreme Facility Protector has a 

three-step painting procedure consisting 

of two types of primer with 

final coat of impact, fade & chemical 

resistant polyurethane. 

The units are site-ready and delivered 

in one piece, lifted into place 

by crane. The booths are essentially 

‘plug and play’ and no detail has

een spared to ensure a no-hitches 

installation experience. This approach 

can add up to significant 

savings for customers while providing 

the highest levels of perimeterhardening 

security. 

About B.I.G. Enterprises: 

For over 50 years, engineers and 

decision-makers from hundreds of 

transportation, chemical, agricultural, 

manufacturing, university 

and corporate facilities have trusted 

B.I.G. Enterprises to produce exceptional 

products and designs to meet 

the exacting requirements of today’s 

corporate and industrial security 

environment. For more information, 

visit www.bigbooth.com. 

For further information, please 

contact Dave King,, Vice President, 

B.I.G. Enterprises, Inc, (Tel) 626- 

448-1449, (Fax) 626-448-3598, Toll 

Free: 800-669-1449, (Email) inquiries@bigbooth.com 

Rapiscan MP100 Backpack 

radiation detection system 

Continued from page 22 

safely employed in medical and industrial 

applications can cause significant 

radiation contamination 

to a wide area when 

part of a dirty bomb,” 

said Pak Chin, president 

of Rapiscan Systems. 

“The MP100 

applies Rapiscan design principles 

and technology to a practical, high 

performing, portable radiation detection 

solution that is suitable for 

a variety of use cases. It’s one of the 

lightest and easiest to use systems 

available today.” 

The MP100 was designed for 

many different applications. Operators 

can use the solution to inspect 

areas where crowds have gathered 

for an event, such as stadiums or 

arenas; to detect radioactive material 

at mass transit stations and vehicle 

checkpoints; and to protect 

critical infrastructure and measure 

radiation around a facility, such as a 

nuclear power plant. 

About Rapiscan Systems 

Rapiscan Systems, a division of OSI 

Systems, Inc., is a leading global 

supplier of security inspection solutions 

utilizing advanced threat identification 

techniques. The company’s 

27 

products are sold into the following 

market segments: Baggage and Parcel 

Inspection; Cargo and Vehicle 

Inspection; Hold (checked) Baggage 

Screening; People Screening; Explosive 

and Narcotics Trace Detection; 

and Radiation Detection. Rapiscan 

Systems product 

lines are supported 

by a global service 

network. As the 

world’s leading security 

screening provider, Rapiscan 

Systems provides state-of-the-art 

products, solutions and services to 

meet our customers’ most demanding 

threat detection needs. For more 

information, visit www.rapiscansystems.com 

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Print/Digital Editions 

& Email Newsletters 

CLICK HERE

NTSB Chairman Hart to discuss Positive Train 

Control, transit safety at March SafeRail Congress 

The recent release of the National 

Transportation Safety Board’s 

(NTSB) annual Most Wanted List 

has once again shone a spotlight 

upon rail safety in the United States. 

The list, described as a ‘road map 

from lessons learned to lives saved’ 

this year has a major focus on technology 

and its role in improving 

safety. 

The top ten includes several rail 

specific requests including 

a renewed push for the 

implementation of Positive 

Train Control (PTC), 

an improvement of rail 

transit safety oversight 

and changes to rail tank 

car management. These are all key 

themes at the upcoming SafeRail 

(incorporating the 6th annual PTC 

World Congress), coming to Washington 

on March 22-23 2016 where 

Christopher A. Hart, Chairman of 

the NTSB is lead speaker and will be 

discussing in further detail the key 

priorities for transit safety in the 

USA. 

As the NTSB Most Wanted list 

has shown, safety on US railroads 

remains a key concern for all stakeholders. 

Increasingly, operators are 

looking for whole-system reliability 

but to achieve this, key financial, 

strategic and technical challenges 

must be overcome. Whilst the extension 

of the PTC mandate gives 

operators breathing space on their 

deployment, it also offers more time 

to take advantage of rapidly evolving 

IT that provide and the extra opportunities 

this makes available. 

A unique blend of keynotes, masterclasses, 

roundtables and panel 

discussions SafeRail is the mustattend 

event for all stakeholders involved 

in the safety and operational 

efficiency on the US Rail Network. 

Attendees include a full range of 

experts involved in mandates and 

policy, compliance and regulation, 

project planning and delivery, signalling 

upgrades and operational 

performance. This includes CEOs, 

department chiefs, safety directors, 

signalling and communications experts 

and technology specialists. 

SafeRail is completely free to attend 

for Railroads, Transit Agencies 

& Government and will bring 

together over 40 high-level speakers 

28 

and 100s of senior level attendees to 

discuss and discover how to exploit 

these opportunities and ensure safety, 

security and operational efficiency 

on your network. Chairman Hart 

will be joined by Yves Desjardins- 

Siciliano (CEO, VIA Rail Canada), 

Mike Marino, Director/General 

Manager (Port Authority of NY & 

NJ (PATH)), Jeff Moller (AVP Safety, 

AAR), Keith Holt (Deputy Chief 

Engineer Communications 

and Signals, Amtrak), Lisa 

McGowan, (General Manager 

Operations Integration, 

CSX) and many more 

experts in rail safety and 

PTC from the government 

and business sectors. 

SafeRail (www.saferailcongress. 

com) will take place at Georgetown 

University & Conference Center, 

Washington DC. on March 22-23 

2016. For further information or to 

book your press pass contact Marketing@GlobalTransportForum. 

com or call + 44 (0) 20 7046 0900. 

For more on the NTSB 2016 Most 

Wanted List visit: http://www.smartrailworld.com/ptc-safety-oversighttank-car-change-are-all-most-wanted-by-ntsb

INCORPORATING 

INCORPORATING THE 

THE 6TH 

6TH ANNUAL 

ANNUAL PTC 

PTC WORLD 

WORLD CONGRESS 

CONGRESS 

ING THE 6TH ANNUAL PTC WORLD CONGRESS 

OFFICIAL SUPPORTER: 

MARCH 22-23 2016, WASHINGTON D.C, USA 

23 2016, WASHINGTON D.C, USA 

MARCH 22 - 23, 2016 

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTER 

WASHINGTON DC, USA 

FREE to attend 

for Railroads, 

Transit Agencies & 

Government 

ENSURING SAFETY, 

SECURITY AND 

OPERATIONAL 

EFFICIENCY ON US 

RAIL AND TRANSIT 

NETWORKS 

I’ve learnt a lot just listening to the case studies, they were very useful. Invaluable. 

RICK STONES, AVP, ADVANCED SYSTEMS PLANNING, KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN 

KEY SPEAKERS INCLUDE: 

Barry Melnkovic 

Executive Vice President 

and Chief Human 

Capital Officer 

Amtrak 

Jo Strang, 

Vice President Safety and 

Regulatory Policy, American 

Short Line and Regional 

Railroad Association 

Jeff Moller 

AVP Safety 

AAR 

Honorable Christopher 

A. Hart 

Chairman 

National Transportation 

Safety Board 

Karen Antion 

PTC Program 

Director 

Caltrain 

Keith Holt 

Deputy Chief Engineer 

Communications and Signals 

Amtrak 

Lisa McGowan 

Director PTC 

Network Operations 

CSX 

Jeff Davis 

General Manager and CEO 

New Orleans Public Belt 

Railroad 

THE LEADING 

SAFETY EVENT FOR 

NORTH AMERICAN 

RAILROADS 

OPERATIONAL 

SAFETY 

BEST PRACTICE 

WORKFORCE TRAINING 

TO SUPPORT IT 

UPGRADES 

SOLUTIONS 

TO PTC AND 

CBTC DEPLOYMENT 

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Visit www.SafeRailCongress.com to book your pass 

ORGANISED BY

Logos Technology going for the gold as Brazilian 

officials pick its sensor for the Rio Olympics 


This summer, the eyes of the world 

will descend upon Rio de Janeiro 

for the 2016 Summer Olympics, and 

an American company will have its 

eyes over the Brazilian city helping 

to protect the athletes, officials 

and spectators participating in the 

world’s biggest sporting event. 

The Brazilian Ministry of Justice 

will deploy four of Logos Technologies’ 

Simera wide-area motion imagery 

systems to watch over sections 

of the city where competitions are 

taking place. Simera is a 40-pound 

system that can be attached to an 

aerostat, which is a blimp-like balloon 

that’s tethered to the ground. 

That gives the lightweight Simera 

rapid deployment capabilities, as security 

personnel can get a unit operational 

in just a couple of hours. 

“Until now, WAMI sensors have 

been used either to protect U.S. 

troops in Iraq and Afghanistan or 

have been tested for domestic law 

enforcement 

and border security,” 

says 

John Marion, 

president of Logos 

Technologies. 

“This will 

be the first time 

that this sophisticated 

technology has been exported 

abroad.” 

The Simera units will allow officials 

in the Brazilian Ministry of 

Justice to have a 360-degree view 

of key sites during the day, Marion 

added. 

Founded 20 years ago, Logos 

Technologies specializes in developing 

sensors, processing the images 

acquired from them and properly 

securing the large files – as well as 

providing training and support for 

the companies that use Logos products, 

like Brazil’s ALTAVE whose 

aerostats will keep the Simera units 

hovering 1,000-feet in the air. 

Marion has been working with the 

technology for about two decades. 

Initially, he was trying to find a way 

to produce images from sensors in 

weather balloons. 

“Then 9/11 happened,” said Marion, 

who holds a doctorate in materials 

science from the University of 

California-Berkeley. 

It’s then that he shifted his fo- 

30 

cus to security and defense issues. 

While working at the Lawrence 

Livermore National Laboratory, he 

led the effort to develop the first 

wide-area motion imagery system. 

That system, called Constant Hawk, 

eventually made its way to Iraq and 

Afghanistan. But the electro-optic 

sensor’s heft, coming in at 1,500 

pounds, required an airplane to carry 

it. Still, Constant Hawk helped 

the U.S. Army identify some of the 

biggest producers of improvised 

explosive devices in the war-torn 

countries. 

How that happens is an approach 

Marion called “find the bomb maker, 

find the bomb.” If, for example, 

an IED goes off in the field of view 

for a Logos sensor, one operator 

would continue observing the feed 

and observing developments in 

real-time. Another operator would 

take the captured footage and go 

back in time to identify the trigger 

man as well as anyone responsible 

for placing the device and tracking

their whereabouts before the explosion. 

“It’s really the way of finding the 

people who are doing the bad behavior,” 

said Marion. 

In Afghanistan, Constant Hawk 

worked with a unit that was trying 

to track 25 bomb makers who had 

attacked troops over a three-year 

period. In less than a year, the intelligence 

gathered from Constant 

Hawk allowed soldiers to take out 

20 of them from the battlefields, 

Marion added. 

Marion and his associates later 

took the technology from Constant 

Hawk and derived Kestrel, a significantly 

lighter sensor (approximately 

150 pounds) that added infrared 

sensing capabilities. That led into 

the development of Simera, and Logos 

researchers are also working on 

another lightweight sensor. At 35 

pounds, Redkite can be deployed on 

helicopters and drones. It’s already 

available on with an electro-optic 

sensor, and an infrared version is in 

the works. 

Besides, the Army, Logos is a subcontractor 

to such companies as 

CACI and Booz Allen Hamilton on 

contracts with the Department of 

Defense and Department of Homeland 

Security. However, Logos officials 

say the technology can be used 

not just to provide security at events 

or installations but it also can be 

used to monitor ports, railroads and 

logistics hubs and during disaster 

recovery missions. 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx 

recommends $3.5 Billion to expand 

access to transit jobs 


Program is the federal government’s 

primary grant program for funding 

major transit capital investments 

that are locally planned, implemented 

and operated. It provides funding 

for investments such as new 

and expanded heavy rail, commuter 

rail, light rail, bus rapid transit and 

streetcar projects. The program includes 

funding for three categories 

of eligible projects, as defined by 

the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation 

(FAST) Act: New Starts, 

Small Starts and Core Capacity. 

Funding recommendations for 

Fiscal Year 2017 include: 

31 

• $1.4 billion for 10 New Starts 

projects already under construction 

in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San 

Jose, Denver, Orlando, Honolulu, 

Boston, Charlotte and Portland, 

with additional funds recommended 

to accelerate completion of these 

projects; 

• $950 million for seven New 

Starts projects not yet under construction 

in Los Angeles, San Diego, 

Santa Ana, National Capital Area in 

Maryland, Minneapolis, Fort Worth 

and Seattle; 

• $458 million for 10 Small Starts 

projects not yet under construction 

in Tempe, Sacramento, Fort Lauderdale, 

Jacksonville, Indianapolis, 

Grand Rapids, Kansas City (Missouri), 

Albuquerque, Everett and 

Seattle, Washington; 

• $599 million for four Core Capacity 

projects to improve capacity 

on existing, heavily used transit 

lines in the San Francisco Bay Area, 

Chicago, New York City and Dallas; 

and 

• $75 million for the Expedited 

Project Delivery for Capital Investment 

Grants Pilot Program — a 

new pilot program outlined in FAST 

that allows FTA to select up to eight 

projects seeking 25 percent or less in 

Federal funding and using a publicprivate 

partnership approach. 

FTA’s Annual Report on Funding 

Recommendations for the Fiscal 

Year 2017 CIG Program, including 

links to individual project profiles, 

is available on FTA’s website. 

In addition to the Fiscal Year 

2017 funding recommendations 

announced today, FTA also announced 

Fiscal Year 2016 apportionments 

and allocations, which 

include ongoing funding for existing 

CIG projects. The latest Apportionment 

Tables are now available 

on FTA’s website.

Campbell on Crypto 

Encryption Basics: Three Steps 

to Better Data Protection 

By Shawn Campbell 

In previous columns for Government 

Security News, I’ve said that 

security professionals need to accept 

the fact that security breaches 

will happen. 

Perimeter security isn’t sufficient 

for protecting your 

organization from 

breaches. For overall 

protection of sensitive 

data, you have to 

focus on safeguarding 

your data, not just 

your network. That 

means encryption. 

Encryption is the hot topic in cybersecurity. 

It’s at the core of many 

security tools we use for everyday 

transactions and communications. 

And because it protects data in 

motion and data at rest, it’s often 

thought to be the holy grail of data 

protection. 

During the encryption process, 

plaintext (data in its original format) 

is encrypted through an algorithm 

into unreadable ciphertext 

(the result of applying a cryptographic 

cipher to plaintext). The 

encryption process generates cryptographic 

keys that can be used to 

lock (encrypt) and unlock (decrypt) 

the ciphertext. 

Effectively protecting your data 

boils down to three steps, and at 

The growth of huge volumes of often-sensitive 

data transmitted across networks presents 

real risks ranging from malicious attacks to 

unintentional transmission errors. 

their core they all involve encryption: 

• Know your data. You have to 

know what you need to protect. 

• Protect your data. Once you’ve 

identified the data you need to protect, 

you have to encrypt the data to 

keep it safe. 

• Manage your protection. Encrypted 

data requires encryption 

keys to lock and unlock data, and 

you have to be sure your keys are all 

securely stored and managed. 

It’s important to remember that 

32 

encryption inherently applies protection 

to the data itself. Even if 

your perimeters are breached, your 

data is still protected. That should 

offer some relief in these days of 

more frequent network security 

breaches, and it underscores 

the reason 

you should extend 

your controls from 

protecting the perimeter 

to protecting 

the data. 

Now let’s take a 

closer look at each 

of the three steps for effective data 

encryption. 

Know your data 

First, you need to catalog the data 

you have, and determine its level of 

sensitivity. Then you must assess 

where it resides, and what protections 

are in place for the sensitive 

data. Some key questions to ask are: 

• Is it in a physically secure environment? 

• It is accessible only to people 

who need to see it?

• It is accessible if is it accidentally 

or deliberately released? 

As you catalog your data, start 

with your data centers on-premise 

and then move to your cloud and 

virtual environments. Examine data 

in storage, file servers, applications, 

databases, and even removable media. 

Don’t forget data that travels 

across your network. Remember, 

when data leaves your organization’s 

borders, you lose control of it. 

Protect your data 

The place to start here is data in 

motion. The availability of greater 

bandwidth has allowed us all to 

exchange information faster and 

more frequently. Unfortunately, the 

growth of huge volumes of oftensensitive 

data transmitted across 

networks presents real risks ranging 

from malicious attacks to unintentional 

transmission errors. Therefore 

sensitive data in motion— 

whether it’s moving across your 

network or traveling between your 

data centers—must be encrypted. 

There are two main types of network 

encryption for Ethernet networks: 

integrated or dedicated. 

Integrated encryption capability 

within routers is sometimes called 

‘onboard encryption’ or Layer 3 (Internet 

Protocol Security – IPSec) 

encryption. Dedicated encryption is 

hardware-based and is referred to as 

Layer 2 encryption. 

In general, dedicated encryption 

is the preferred way to protect data 

in motion. Compared to Layer 3 

(IPSec) encryption, Layer 2 networks 

can be secured and encrypted 

with dedicated appliances without 

any loss of speed and performance, 

minimal management, and greater 

reliability. This results in a comparatively 

lower cost per gigabyte. 

But data in motion is only part of 

an effective data protection strategy. 

After all, data is not only at risk 

when in motion, but also when at 

rest on your servers or in storage. 

For storage and media, the choices 

are generally straightforward – usually 

an “encrypt all or nothing“ approach. 

For servers, there are many 

different options that enable you to 

encrypt dynamically. You can encrypt 

specific files or folders, have 

applications that make custom encryption 

decisions, encrypt specific 

columns of structured data, or encrypt 

entire disks. These choices, 

and the rules that can be applied 

along with them, are a vital part of 

your in-depth data defense. 

Manage your protection 

33 

In addition to employing strong 

encryption, it’s vital that your cryptographic 

keys are treated with the 

same level of care. Remember, the 

only way to decrypt or unlock encrypted 

data is through the accompanying 

keys. 

Indiscriminately protecting these 

keys counteracts the entire process 

of encryption and creates a false 

sense of security. Therefore, the security 

deployment should utilize 

best practices for both encryption, 

as well as key management. 

For maximum security, dedicated 

hardware key management protects 

sensitive cryptographic keys from 

attack. Its high security design ensures 

the integrity and protection of 

encryption keys throughout their 

lifecycle. Storing cryptographic keys 

and certificates in hardware that 

wraps multiple levels of security 

eliminates the risk of loss or theft, 

and is the only definitive method 

of ensuring and enforcing trusted, 

granular security policies. 

By thoroughly understanding 

these three steps to encrypting data, 

you have the foundation for any 

successful data protection strategy. 

Shawn Campbell is VP of Product 

Management, SafeNet Assured Technologies. 

He can be reached at 

Shawn.Campbell@safenetat.com


Energy industry veteran Stephen Trippe named 

Interim Chair of Quantum Technology Sciences 

Stephen Trippe, Interim Chair, 

Quantum Technology Sciences 

34 

COCOA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 24, 

2016 /PRNewswire/ – Quantum 

Technology Sciences, a perimeter 

intrusion detection solution provider, 

announces the board appointment 

and interim chairmanship 

of Stephen Trippe. Trippe assumes 

the chairmanship from Company 

Founder Freddie “Chick” Garcia 

who will remain as a director. 

Trippe, an energy industry veteran, 

made a career of successfully 

launching and selling entities in 

various industry segments including 

upstream oil and gas, midstream 

services, and energy marketing. 

Trippe was president and owner of 

Kimball/Trippe Energy Associates, 

a natural gas marketing company, 

which was sold to Dominion Energy, 

Inc. He also served as a partner 

in Saltwater Disposal of North Dakota, 

which was sold to Basic Energy 

Services, Inc. Additionally, Trippe 

continues as the managing member 

of both Longhorn Properties LLC, 

which originates oil and gas projects 

as well as ITAP, LLC which invests 

with Heritage Sustainable Energy in 

wind and solar energy projects. 

“His instinct, passion and talent 

for driving entrepreneurial ventures, 

which are ahead of the curve, 

will help push Quantum to the next 

level,” says Garcia. “His knowledge 

and connections within multiple 

segments of the energy industry will 

prove beneficial to our expansion of 

security and safety solutions in the 

oil & gas, utility, and critical infrastructure 

marketplaces.” 

“To succeed, a new venture needs 

a few things going for it. They require 

something an order of magnitude 

ahead of the pack. Quantum’s 

seismic-acoustic solution is disruptive 

technology to the security and 

safety marketplace. Also, leadership 

is crucial. Quantum CEO Mark 

Tinker takes his tactical seismology 

background and invents ideas beyond 

what seems possible. His talent 

and inspirational management 

style get his team to deliver the impossible,” 

says Trippe. 

Trippe becomes interim chairman 

at an important time for Quantum 

as the company seeks to push passed 

the early adoption curve on their 

technology to reach a rapid growth 

stage. While the company has been 

in business since 1991, the transition 

from solely government business 

to commercial sales has gone 

much like a start-up including the 

infusion of $8M in venture funds in 

early 2015. The company recently 

released a gunshot detection feature 

for its Vector product line adding to 

the existing pedestrian, vehicle, and 

digging/tunneling capabilities. 

“Chick and Mark built a solid 

foundation for Quantum as a defense 

contractor with significant 

relationships in Lockheed Martin, 

Northrop Grumman, DOD, the US 

Air Force, and the US Navy. Then, 

Mark developed the commercial 

security side of the business. I look 

More on page 38

Siemens and IBM team on next 

generation of cloud-based building 

energy management solutions 

LAS VEGAS, NV, February 23 – Today, 

the Siemens Building Technologies 

Division and IBM announced 

cloud-based solutions that will leverage 

Siemens’ building expertise 

and IBM Internet of Things (IoT) 

capabilities to maximize 

the potential of connected 

buildings and the 

data they create, helping 

corporate real estate 

owners across multiple 

industries drive business 

results and meet energy 

efficiency goals. 

Building intelligence is 

evolving through emerging technologies 

in cloud computing, data analytics, 

and intelligent field devices 

– effectively merging the virtual and 

real worlds within the built environment. 

This shift provides an opportunity 

to transform real estate assets 

into active contributors to business 

success. The solution addresses this 

opportunity by delivering greater 

transparency and flexibility to support 

the decision making process 

while creating greater efficiency and 

cost savings to help impact the bottom 

line. 

Siemens is integrating software 

from IBM’s Watson IoT Business 

Unit, including analytics and asset 

management, into its cloud-based 

Navigator energy and sustainability 

management platform. This combination 

will help benefit corporate 

real estate customers in many ways, 

including: 

• Corporate real estate owners 

and operators will now be able to 

leverage internal and external data 

on Siemens’ Navigator platform to 

benchmark building performance 

and forecast operational budgets. 

• Predictive analytics can be applied 

for fault detection and diagnosis 

so potential issues can be addressed 

before anything happens. 

35 

• Text recognition and analytics 

for utility invoice validation can 

identify billing errors and enhance 

data quality. 

• Mobile applications can enable 

energy audits and creation of audit 

reports from anywhere. 

“Of all the software solutions available 

to corporate real estate owners 

today, none leverage facility optimization 

solutions from a service 

provider like Siemens,” explained 

Matthias Rebellius, CEO, 

Siemens Building Technologies 

Division. “By 

interfacing our Navigator 

platform with IBM’s 

software, we can bring 

Siemens’ proven expertise 

in energy optimization 

and building performance 

together with 

IBM’s real estate and asset management 

systems to create an unrivaled 

combination that will dramatically 

improve the productivity of buildings.” 

The Siemens Navigator platform 

provides a customizable suite of 

services that enables monitoring of 

building system performance, energy 

demand, and energy supply more 

effectively and efficiently across a 

single building, a campus, or an entire 

real estate portfolio. With IBM’s 

IoT technologies integrated into the


new Navigator platform, customers 

will experience a user-friendly interface 

and will benefit from more 

advanced analytics capabilities as 

well as the ability to process more 

robust data sets from their real estate 

portfolios. The Navigator platform 

can also integrate with any system, 

including the Siemens Desigo 

CC building management system 

and third party technologies. The 

new Navigator functionality will 

be rolled out in packages over the 

coming years starting this year, 

with releases in May and October. 

“Connected ‘things’ – everything 

from hospital beds, train 

tracks, cars, buildings and more 

– are generating massive amounts 

of data that can be analyzed to 

provide quick, actionable insights,” 

said Harriet Green, General 

Manager, Watson IoT, Education 

& Commerce, IBM. “Siemens and 

IBM are bringing together deep 

knowledge of new efficiencies for 

smarter buildings with advances in 

cloud-based IoT to transform business 

and society alike.” 

“Our collaboration will form a 

strong foundation for the development 

of a greater ecosystem that will 

support other providers to bring 

improved functionality and innovations 

to the services and solutions 

we offer to our shared clients,” said 

Matthias Rebellius. 

The corporate real estate industry 

is just beginning to scratch the surface 

of advanced data analytics for 

the purpose of producing consistent 

results and enabling easier decisionmaking. 

Operating costs account 

for 71 percent of the total cost of 

owning a building and real estate 

is often the second largest expense 

on the income statement for large 

enterprise organizations. Building 

owners and operators can now leverage 

solutions across the entire 

lifecycle of their real estate assets 

to predict energy efficiency trends 

and equipment availability issues in 

advance, so that building operation 

can be as reliable, cost-effective, and 

sustainable as possible. 

Siemens is making further significant 

investments in Digitalization 

and has developed the Sinalytics 

platform for advanced, predictive 

36 

data analytics across its various 

businesses. Siemens Building Technologies 

is combining its analytics 

capabilities and IBM software tools 

for a next generation software platform 

for energy management and 

sustainability – Navigator, powered 

by Sinalytics. 

About Siemens Building Technologies 

The Siemens Building Technologies 

Division (Zug, Switzerland) 

is the world leader in the market 

for safe and secure, energy-efficient 

and environment-friendly 

buildings and infrastructures. As 

technology partner, service provider, 

system integrator and product 

vendor, Building Technologies 

has offerings for safety and 

security as well as building automation, 

heating, ventilation and air 

conditioning (HVAC) and energy 

management. With around 27,000 

employees worldwide, Building 

Technologies generated revenue of 

approx. 6.0 billion Euro. 

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) 

is a global technology powerhouse 

that has stood for engineering excellence, 

innovation, quality, reliability 

and internationality for more 

than 165 years. The company is active 

in more than 200 countries, 

focusing on the areas of electrifica- 

More on page 38

Oil & Gas sector needs long-term thinking to 

achieve meaningful cost cuts, says industry 

technical advisor DNV GL 

JANUARY 25, 2016 – A majority 

of senior oil and gas professionals 

(56%) believe that the industry is 

repeating the mistakes of previous 

downturns and have concerns over 

the loss of jobs and experience and 

lack of efficiency, according to a new 

report published today by DNV GL, 

the leading technical advisor to the 

oil and gas industry. A new phase 

of cost management is needed, as 

nearly three quarters (73%) of senior 

oil and gas professionals globally 

are preparing their company for 

a sustained period of low oil prices. 

According to A New Reality: the 

outlook for the oil and gas industry 

in 2016, a DNV GL report based on 

a global survey of 921 senior sector 

players1, cost management is the 

top priority for 41% of respondents 

in 2016. The top three measures prioritized 

to impose stricter cost controls 

are: 

• Tougher decisions on 

capex, down from 44% in 

2015 to 31% in 2016, suggesting 

that opportunities 

for further capex reductions 

are limited. 

• Prioritizing headcount 

37 

Elisabeth Tørstad, 

CEO of DNV GL 

reductions, up from 25% 

last year to 31% in 2016, 

signaling further job losses; 

and 

• Increasing pressure on the supply 

chain, down from 31% in 2015 

to 27% in 2016, indicating that suppliers 

have been squeezed as much 

as possible. 

Elisabeth Tørstad, CEO of DNV 

GL – Oil & Gas, says: “With the low 

oil price, the industry has 

taken painful short-term 

cost-cutting measures by 

reducing the capex and 

headcount and squeezing 

the supply chain. 

Although 74% say they 

achieved their cost-efficiency 

targets last year and 

65% believe the industry 

will be successful in cutting costs 

in 2016, not all parts of the sector 

have been able to achieve lasting 

lower cost levels during downturns. 

To prevent repeating past mistakes, 

real change is needed now - cutting 

complexity, increasing collaboration 

and driving standardization. 

These measures will enable the industry 

to adjust to the new reality 

and put it on a sustainable growth 

path for the long-term.” 

There are some promising signs 

that the industry is adopting longerterm 

thinking on cost management:


six in ten (61%) respondents agree 

that operators will increasingly 

push to standardize their delivery 

globally, up from 55% in 2015 and 

52% in 2014. 

Even in the current price environment, 

49% say their company is 

taking a long-term approach to innovation 

and R&D. However, nearly 

one in five companies (18%) does 

not have a strategy in place to maintain 

innovation. The most common 

strategy for maintaining innovation 

with lower budgets is to increase 

collaboration with other industry 

players (45%). Nearly one in three 

(30%) plans greater involvement in 

joint industry projects in the year 

ahead. 

“Innovation and collaboration are 

even more important in this current 

price environment. It isn’t just about 

finding the breakthrough technologies 

– although that’s important too 

– it’s also about making things simpler 

and more efficient and ultimately 

helping the industry to safely cut 

costs. At DNV GL, we are continuing 

to invest 5% of our revenue in 

R&D as we see this as a key enabler 

for sustainable long-term competitiveness,” 

continues Tørstad. 

The greatest barriers to growth 

in 2016 are the low oil price (63%), 

weak global economy (42%), uneconomic 

gas prices (21%) and growing 

regulatory burden (11%). Access to 

Energy industry veteran Stephen 

Trippe named Interim Chair of 



forward to helping write the next 

chapter of Quantum with their outstanding 

team,” says Trippe. 

About Quantum Technology 

Sciences 


designs and sells intrusion detection 

and surveillance solutions to 

safeguard highly valued assets and 

critical infrastructure. Founded in 

1991, Quantum is the first security 

and surveillance company to maintain 

an awareness perimeter where 

threats in the air, water and land are 

detected, tracked, and classified in 

real-time. The company’s seismicacoustic 

detection solutions have 

won consecutive ASIS Accolades innovation 

awards in 2014 and 2015. 

capital (16%) has also become more 

prominent in 2016. 

Download a complimentary 

copy of A New Reality: the outlook 

for the oil and gas industry in 2016 

from: http://dnvgl.com/anewreality 

38 

Siemens and IBM team on next 

generation of cloud-based building 

energy management solutions 


tion, automation and digitalization. 

One of the world’s largest producers 

of energy-efficient, resource-saving 

technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in 

offshore wind turbine construction, 

a leading supplier of gas and steam 

turbines for power generation, a 

major provider of power transmission 

solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure 

solutions as well as 

automation, drive and software solutions 

for industry. The company 

is also a leading provider of medical 

imaging equipment – such as computed 

tomography and magnetic 

resonance imaging systems – and 

a leader in laboratory diagnostics 

as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2015, 

which ended on September 30, 

2015, Siemens generated revenue 

of €75.6 billion and net income of 

€7.4 billion. At the end of September 

2015, the company had around 

348,000 employees worldwide.

FAA announces nearly 

300,000 operators sign on to 

online drone registry 


As the Federal Aviation Administration’s 

new online system for registering 

small unmanned aircraft 

reaches its one month anniversary, 

federal officials announce that nearly 

300,000 drone owners have come 

on board. 

In all, 295,306 owners registered 

within the first 30 days, according 

to the agency. 

“The registration 

numbers we’re seeing 

so far are very 

encouraging,” said 

FAA Administrator 

Michael Huerta. 

“We’re working hard 

to build on this early 

momentum and ensure 

everyone understands the registration 

requirement.” 

Owners of drones that weigh between 

.55 pounds and 55 pounds 

and use them for recreational purposes 

are required to register. Any 

new aircraft must be registered before 

operators can fly it outdoors. 

Drones that were in use prior to the 

start of the registry must be registered 

by Feb. 19. 

Those who signed on during the 

first month – between the dates of 

Dec. 21 and Jan. 21 – received a refund 

of their $5 application fee. Federal 

officials announced the refund 

initiative last month as an incentive 

to encourage people to join early. 

“I am pleased the public responded 

to our call to register,” Department 

of Transportation Secretary 

Anthony Foxx said. “The National 

Airspace System is a great resource 

and all users of it, including (drone) 

users, are responsible for keeping it 

safe.” 

The registry came 

into effect after a 

panel of industry 

experts and government 

leaders 

came together late 

last year to generate 

ideas on regulating 

the aerial vehicles, 

which have exploded in popularity 

in recent years. Operators flew 

about 200,000 drones in 2014, and 

federal officials expected more than 

1.5 million of the remote controlled 

planes to be planes to be flown last 

year. 

As the number of drones increased, 

so too did the number of 

complaints about them interfering 

with other aircraft. Pilots and other 

officials lodged more than 1,100 

complaints in the first 10 months 

of 2015, representing a more than 

39 

five-fold increase from the previous 

year’s totals. Complaints include pilots 

in New York and Denver saying 

they saw drones fly near their plane 

as they approached the runway. A 

drone also flew into the University 

of Kentucky’s 60,000-seat football 

stadium, where it crashed into a 

pane of glass prior to the start of a 

game last September. No one was 

injured, but authorities charged the 

student who flew the drone with 

second degree wanton endangerment. 

The registry currently applies to 

drone owners who use their aircraft 

solely for recreational purposes. 

They do not need to pay a fee for 

each drone they own, but they must 

affix the unique identifier they received 

on each drone upon completing 

the registration process. The 

registration is valid for three years. 

Owners need to register their 

drones at www.faa.gov/uas/registration. 

They must enter their name as 

well as their mailing, physical and 

email addresses. The owner who 

registers the aircraft must be at least 

13 years of age. 

Owners who fail to join the registry 

subject themselves to possible 

civil and criminal penalties. 

The FAA did not include drone 

operators who use their machines 

for commercial purposes on the 

registry for the initial rollout. Instead, 

federal officials plan to have 

commercial operators register online 

by the middle of March.

Coming Attractions – 2016 

March Print 

Technology Focus: 

CBRNE/Detection 

Market Focus: 

Border Security/ 

Immigration 

Plus 

Video Surveillance 

Guest Expert 

April Digital 


Video Surveillance 

Market Focus: 

Maritime/Coastal 

Port Security 

Plus 

Guest Cyber Expert 

May Digital 


Satellite Communications 

Market Focus: 

Law Enforcement/ 

Public Safety 

Plus Education Profile 

June Digital 


Disaster Preparation 

And Response 

Market Focus: 

City/State/County/ 

Municipal Security 

Plus 

Guest Cyber Expert 

July Print 


Perimeter Protection/ 

Intrusion Detection 

Market Focus: 

Airport/Aviation 

Security 

Plus 

Facility Security Expert 

For GSN Media Kit or 

Advertising Rates, contact 

Publisher Mike Madsen 

at 732-233-8119 

or by email at 

mmadsen@gsnmagazine.com 

Government Security News announces two major initiatives 

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