Custom Development of Security Components and Systems
Project Description and Significance
Sandia helps its customers manage their security risk by participating in developing customized security components and systems. This participation could involve initial development of a prototype, which we would help commercialize by collaborating with a private manufacturer. It could also involve a role in developing a customized security system or a system upgrade in cooperation with a private company who would then install it according to our mutually determined specifications.
Our system-level expertise is unique: it combines system-level vulnerability analysis, security component technologies, and design and implementation of security systems. While we collaborate with private companies whenever possible and transfer to them as much of our technology in this area as possible, we remain the only entity that combines all of these areas of expertise.
General Terminal Area
The systems that are developed provide security (often at very high levels) to the citizens of this country. Historically, this effort has concentrated on risks associated with nuclear materials and the threat presented if such materials fell into the hands of terrorists or countries intent upon development of nuclear weapons. As visualized below, our more recent efforts, however, have concentrated on developing better security at airports, developing nonlethal weapons for prisons, and developing prototypes of more convenient and more secure ways to vote (by phone).
Sandia's Contribution
Much of our work in this area is eventually commercialized by one or more private companies. Sandia's role is to help develop new solutions to security problems and then collaborate with private companies who can commercialize these prototypes. As we develop customers in the private sector, we would expect that the customers themselves will frequently commercialize the resulting product.
Sometimes we help to enhance or evaluate an existing security-related product. We maintain a technology base with regard to most security products and periodically test many of them for one customer or another. One example of work to enhance an existing product is our collaborative effort with a manufacturer to improve a low-level x-ray device to detect contraband.
Future Work
Our future efforts will continue to be collaborations in designing and implementing security components and complete security systems. We expect the work to develop into new arenas. New relationships being forged with prison systems, banking entities, and others indicate that there are many needs outside the DOE and the DoD that we can help meet.
For further information, contact:
Basil J. Steele
Sandia National Laboratories, MS-0768
Albuquerque, NM 87185-0768
Phone: (505) 845-3260
e-mail: bjsteel@sandia.gov
or
James F. Chapek
Sandia National Laboratories, MS-0782
Albuquerque, NM 87185-0782
Phone: (505) 844-2773
e-mail: jfchape@sandia.gov
or
David J. Gangel
Sandia National Laboratories, MS-0781
Albuquerque, NM 87185-0781
Phone: (505) 844-6226
e-mail: djgange@sandia.gov
Submitted October 1995 Layout design by Wanda Mar.
Submitted October 1995