Archive for the ‘Security – National Intelligence’ Category

Forget TSA, why not outsource school security to Disney?

March 8, 2018

Disney’s technology applications are impressive (and effective)
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This is a flashback post from the HomaFiles that I think provides timely “inspiration” given the current discussions re: school safety.

Later posts will reference back to some of these ideas.

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Last year, I took a  fact-finding trip (aka. family vacation) to Disney World.

I was blown away by the park’s technology and security operations ….

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No surprise, there was a huge rush of “guests” entering the Magic Kingdom when the gates opened at 8 a.m.

The crowd measured into the thousands … all needing to be security-screened.

All bags and strollers had to be hand-checked … all kids – big & little – had to be ushered through metal detectors.

Nightmare, right?

Maybe at the airport, but not at Disney.

Our wait & processing time: less than 10 minutes.

clip_image002

Then came the good part…

(more…)

Posted in Disney - Disney World, RFID technology, Security - National Intelligence | Leave a Comment »

More Disney: How does Mickey fingerprint me?

January 29, 2018

The tech behind biometric fingerprints

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In prior posts, I gushed over the technology applications at Disney World … and recounted the plausible explanations for why Mickey digitally records guests’ fingerprints when then enter the park.

Ostensibly, the purpose is fraud protection – keeping folks from passing along their partially used tickets for reuse.

Of course, there are other sorts of uses for digital fingerprints (e.g. catching bad guys) … and ways that the information can be misused.

clip_image002

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With my curiosity aroused, I did some digging re: digital fingerprints.

(more…)

Posted in Biometrics, Disney - Disney World, Security - National Intelligence | Leave a Comment »

Seriously, why not outsource TSA ops to Disney?

January 25, 2018

Note: We’re doing an amusement park case in class this week …

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Disney’s technology applications are impressive.

I know because I took a fact-finding trip (aka. family vacation) to Disney World.

Here’s some of what I found.

===========

No surprise, there was a huge rush of “guests” entering the Magic Kingdom when the gates opened at 8 a.m.

The crowd measured into the thousands … all needing to be security-screened.

All bags and strollers had to be hand-checked … all kids – big & little – had to be ushered through metal detectors.

Nightmare, right?

Maybe at the airport, but not at Disney.

Our wait & processing time: less than 10 minutes.

clip_image002

Then came the good part…

(more…)

Posted in Disney - Disney World, RFID technology, Security - National Intelligence | Leave a Comment »

More Disney: How does Mickey fingerprint me?

November 16, 2017

The tech behind biometric fingerprints
========
Note: We’ve been doing an amusement park case in my current course.  So, we’re reprising a post from the archives.
=========

In prior posts, I gushed over the technology applications at Disney World … and recounted the plausible explanations for why Mickey digitally records guests’ fingerprints when then enter the park.

Ostensibly, the purpose is fraud protection – keeping folks from passing along their partially used tickets for reuse.

Of course, there are other sorts of uses for digital fingerprints (e.g. catching bad guys) … and ways that the information can be misused.

clip_image002

========

With my curiosity aroused, I did some digging re: digital fingerprints.

(more…)

Posted in Biometrics, Disney - Disney World, Security - National Intelligence | Leave a Comment »

Seriously, why not outsource TSA ops to Disney?

November 14, 2017

Disney’s technology applications are impressive.
===========
Note: We’ve been doing an amusement park case in my current course.  So, we’re reprising a post from the archives.
============

Last Spring, I took a fact-finding trip (aka. family vacation) to Disney World.

I was amazed at the way that Disney uses technology.

My first “wow” was at the entrance gate.

No surprise, there was a huge rush of “guests” entering the Magic Kingdom when the gates opened at 8 a.m.

The crowd measured into the thousands … all needing to be security-screened.

All bags and strollers had to be hand-checked … all kids – big & little – had to be ushered through metal detectors.

Nightmare, right?

Maybe at the airport, but not at Disney.

Our wait & processing time: less than 10 minutes.

clip_image002

Then came the good part…

(more…)

Posted in Disney - Disney World, RFID technology, Security - National Intelligence | Leave a Comment »

More Disney: How does Mickey fingerprint me?

March 30, 2017

The tech behind biometric fingerprints

========

In prior posts, I gushed over the technology applications at Disney World … and recounted the plausible explanations for why Mickey digitally records guests’ fingerprints when then enter the park.

Ostensibly, the purpose is fraud protection – keeping folks from passing along their partially used tickets for reuse.

Of course, there are other sorts of uses for digital fingerprints (e.g. catching bad guys) … and ways that the information can be misused.

clip_image002

========

With my curiosity aroused, I did some digging re: digital fingerprints.

(more…)

Posted in Biometrics, Disney - Disney World, Security - National Intelligence | Leave a Comment »

Seriously, why not outsource TSA ops to Disney?

March 22, 2017

Disney’s technology applications are impressive.

===========

I know because I’m Just back from fact-finding trip (aka. family vacation) at Disney World.

Here’s some of what I found.

===========

No surprise, there was a huge rush of “guests” entering the Magic Kingdom when the gates opened at 8 a.m.

The crowd measured into the thousands … all needing to be security-screened.

All bags and strollers had to be hand-checked … all kids – big & little – had to be ushered through metal detectors.

Nightmare, right?

Maybe at the airport, but not at Disney.

Our wait & processing time: less than 10 minutes.

clip_image002

Then came the good part…

(more…)

Posted in Disney - Disney World, RFID technology, Security - National Intelligence | 4 Comments »

Forget smartphones, dumb phones are making a comeback …

March 14, 2016

No, it’s not because Apple may be forced to break the encryption in the terrorist’s iPhone.

There are plenty of other reasons.

According to the Financial Times …

“There is a busy market for phones that are simple and cheap at a time when smartphones are becoming ever more complex and expensive.”

Strategy Analytics, a research group, estimates that 44 million “basic phones” were sold in 2015.

 

image

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What’s driving the retro interest in dumb phones?

(more…)

Posted in Cell phones, Privacy issues, Security - National Intelligence | 1 Comment »

What grade would YOU expect if you missed more than half of your classes?

October 1, 2014

Let’s put a couple of pieces together.

On 60 minutes, the President blamed the Intelligence Agencies – specifically, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper — for failing to detect the rise of ISIS (or, ISIL, if you prefer).

Squealing sources in the intelligence agencies have leaked that the President’s Daily (Security) Briefs PDBs have contained detailed threat warnings about the Islamic State dating back to before the 2012 presidential election.

 

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So, what’s going on?

(more…)

Posted in Obama, PDBs - Presidential Daily Briefs, Security - National Intelligence | 3 Comments »