Big Brother's Genetic Roundup for Top-Secret America?

8-year old Big Brother Homeland Security, "already has its own Special Access Programs, its own research arm, its own command center, its own fleet of armored cars and its own 230,000-person workforce, the third-largest after the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs."

Do we really want them gathering information about us that we don't even know or have access?  As the Washington Post pointed out an "estimated 854,000 people, nearly 1.5 times as many people as live in Washington, D.C., hold top-secret security clearances". Whose to say how many of these unknown people know more about us than we know about ourselves. Whose to say one of these people is not our boss, spouse, next-door neighbor...or even worse, a psychopathic serial killer who targets specific DNA profiles.  Well, you never know.

Here are some of the latest developments in possibly mandatory invasive screening devices:

First, the latest. Under the guise of combating human trafficking, illegal immigration, and finding missing persons,  Homeland Security plans to roll out even more invasive screening at airports this summer. How? They plan on invading your genes with portable DNA scanners that will conduct on-site, real-time genetic testing, in addition too, or in place of, the groping session.   Richard Seldon of NetBio, creator of the scanners said, "DNA information has the potential to become part of the fabric of day-to-day life."  However, this is nothing new. Since 2009, police have already had the authority to conduct warrantless searches by taking blood and saliva during arrests, even from those not convicted of a crime, and the Pentagon maintains a database of over 80,000 DNA profiles.

Let's not forget the safer than safe biometric blueprint grabbing enhanced version of 1000D whole body scanners.

Iscon is introducing an enhanced version of the 1000D whole body scanner equipped with optional biometric technologies and identity verification techniques that will vastly improve security at corrections facilities, law enforcement as well as international airports.

The Iscon 1000D is the only whole body imaging portal that can be integrated with state of the art technologies to detect virtually any object, without radiation or privacy issues and confirm that the person is indeed who they claim to be. This is critical in prisons as inmates try to pose as others to escape as well as airport security to speed processing, identify terrorists and discover contraband.

Iscon1000D uses thermo-conductive infrared technology that completes a 360°scan in 30 seconds, reveals a multitude of objects, but doesn't penetrate clothing, so there's no privacy or radiation issues.

It can detect the thermal imprint of any object that many scanners miss, including:

* thin plastic
* wood
* powder (pills and drugs)
* paper (money)
* liquids
* ceramics (explosives)

Iscon 1000D is already been sold in the U.S., Europe, China, Japan, Iraq, Russia and the Ukraine.

The enhanced system offers stand alone or combined options for integrated security capabilities through identify verification using the following technologies:

Facial Recognition -- Can compare a person's facial attributes to existing databases and cross match with other systems.

Fingerprint Recognition -- Fingerprints are a highly reliable identification method and are a fast and easy way to determine identity. Large law enforcement databases can be accessed to cross match and verify a person's identity quickly and easily.

Iris Recognition -- Scans of a person's iris can be cross-matched to a database for identity verification.

Card/Barcode Reader -- For high traffic areas that need fast scans, the Iscon 1000D is equipped with a card and barcode reader. At manufacturing facilities and other high security operations, that require both scanning and verification, this system is ideal for people who are preapproved and can simply scan their card or barcode and go through safely.

"Facilities are facing significant privacy and health issues using scanners that expose a persons body parts that can be stored and shared digitally," explains Iscon Founder and President Izrail Gorian. Using existing databases available today, or using a proprietary system of employees or inmates, security will ultimately be enhanced for everyone and at the same time ease verification for those who are not suspect."

And as if we need anymore biometric grabbing devices, Sony's Finger Vein Authentication (Mofiria) technology for mobile apparatus  could appear within the year.  Mofiria is a compact camera based system that uses CMOS sensor to capture light scattered diagonally through finger veins.  Data from the pattern is compressed making it possible to store on gadgets for laptops, and mobile devices.  Supposedly, this technology has been in use for two years.

The use of new and highly-intrusive surveillance technology violates the normal expectation of privacy, dignity and respect of every individual, whether they know it or not. Mandatory screening is a direct infringement basic human rights and should not be tolerated.

Links:

Top Secret America

The top-secret world the government created in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has become so large, so unwieldy and so secretive that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs, how many programs exist within it or exactly how many agencies do the same work.