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Abstract

Increased federal emphasis on homeland security in the past four years has created unprecedented monitoring and vigilance requirements for the people involved in operating and administering technologies used to detect and interdict potential terrorist activity. A broad range of agencies using a variety of non-destructive imaging and data synthesis systems have placed a variety of new mental demands on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel, such as TSA screeners, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, and intelligence analysts from various agencies. This paper reviews selected DHS-administered technologies and systems based on open-source information, describes some of the human factors issues associated with these systems, and suggests potential interventions and research approaches to ensure acceptable human-system performance. The advantages of a DHS-wide programmatic focus on applied human-systems research is discussed.

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The Human Element in Homeland Security Systems: Application Issues and Research Needs

Abstract

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References