| As air travel has gone from a niche activity to a | | | | of equipment can replace codes, keys, smart cards |
| worldwide industry, so too has airport security which | | | | and other types of pass - all vulnerable to theft or |
| has gone from simple passport control to one of the | | | | accidental loss - by identifying people by their unique |
| most high-tech fields in public and private protection. | | | | physical characteristics. Fingerprints or retinal patterns |
| Travel and transportation hubs have always been | | | | are unique to each individual, making these systems far |
| targets for terror attacks and potential nexuses for | | | | harder to compromise than their traditional |
| criminal activity; given the nature of air travel, | | | | predecessors. |
| preventing these and ensuring public safety is more | | | | Ground-based Radar: The unique terrain of a modern |
| paramount than in any other industry. | | | | airport means that a technology long used to detect |
| Naturally, no technology can ever fully replace the | | | | airborne objects can actually be of use on the ground. |
| need for trained, alert security staff - but here are a | | | | Ground-based radar systems can provide an effective |
| few of the more sophisticated tools used at the | | | | automatic perimeter security system for large open |
| cutting edge of airport security: | | | | spaces - such as runways or the empty ground |
| Biometrics: One of the most popularly known and | | | | surrounding airfields - in all weather conditions and light |
| increasingly used technical solutions to ensuring the | | | | levels. Moving objects can be immediately located as |
| security of restricted areas, biometric scanners allow | | | | soon as they enter the range of the system, providing |
| access to be screened by something far more unique | | | | a powerful tool in advance detection of intruders. |
| than an ID card or knowledge of a password. This kind | | | | |