"1995 is the Year of Biometrics." That's what John Woodward, then a senior policy analyst at Rand Corp., wrote in a book he authored eight years ago. For several years thereafter, as he updated the text, Woodward would repeat the phrase, firmly believing that the current year would finally see biometrics take off.
The National Science Foundation will award $9 million to the University of California's Irvine campus, and $3.5 million to the San Diego campus to develop information sharing tools and organizational strategies for first responders.
Lockheed Martin Corp. announced Monday an agreement to acquire Titan Corp. for approximately $2.4 billion, a move that will strengthen its position in defense and intelligence technologies.
A new unit in the Department of Homeland Security's National Cyber Security Division has been launched to improve the department's response to cybersecurity threats.
Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge plans to reorganize staff and consolidate resources of the Homeland Security Department to boost security in four areas.
The Homeland Security Department starting initiatives to enhance commercial aviation and border security, improve the homeland security grant process and improve secure communications with state government.
It's no secret that the homeland security market hasn't created a deluge of business for many government contractors. Spending on new initiatives has not matched expectations, and the Homeland Security Department has been slow in taking shape.But the new department, guided by former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge and barely six months old, is now gearing up for two massive procurements that could start the ball rolling on what many still regard as a lucrative market.
The Homeland Security Department intends to act on audit recommendations that it reorganize the contracting shops that were part of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
The Tampa, Fla., Police Department will not renew its facial recognition software contract with Identix Inc., the department announced, noting that the software proved reliable, but they were unable to make any positive identifications or arrests by using it.
The Transportation Department is investigating advanced surveillance technologies for possible use on the nation's bridges and tunnels, according to a Aug. 18 FedBizOpps posting of a contract win by Fulcrum Corp.
The systems put in place to respond to a national emergency worked effectively during last week's electricity blackout, but more must be done to ensure the nation can prevent or respond to future crises, Tom Ridge, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, told the nation's governors Aug. 18.
Lockheed Martin Corp. plans to bid as prime contractor on the Homeland Security Department's $1.5 billion contract to build a system to track the comings and goings of foreign nationals.
The Homeland Security Department has issued a warning that a vulnerability within certain Windows operating systems may be used as a basis of widescale attacks. The department's Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection National Cyber Security Division, which issued the July 30 advisory, said it has seen increased scanning across the Internet for computers vulnerable to attack. Microsoft Corp., whose operating systems are affected, also noted the increase.
The Department of Homeland Security recently awarded a six-year contract worth more than $100 million to Dell Inc. for a Microsoft software enterprise license. The deal will support approximately 144,000 personnel, and promises to produce significant savings for the agency.
