April 2005

Homeland security serious business for Indiana economy

By Eric Dietz
Indiana Executive Director for Homeland Security

In 1957, the Soviet Union launched its Sputnik satellite, the first man-made satellite ever to orbit the Earth, sparking a fierce competition with the United States. In 1958, President Eisenhower announced the formation of NASA and in the early '60s, the Kennedy Administration focused on an ambitious program to land a man on the moon.

The space race was another front in the Cold War, but it also created tremendous economic opportunities as research from the space program found its way into many facets of everyday life in commercial products. Medical devices and procedures like pacemakers, laser angioplasty, and automated insulin pumps all benefited from technologies developed through space-focused research, for example, along with better gear for earth-bound firefighters and improved food safety procedures. Higher education played a key role in developing this mass of intellectual capital.

Just as Oct. 4, 1957, (the date of the Sputnik launch) was a defining moment for a generation of Americans, Sept. 11, 2001, was a day of tragedy that is defining the age we live in. To a much greater degree than the space program, homeland security has become an unquestioned national priority that demands federal investment. And just like the space program, research on new technologies designed to prevent terrorist attacks also have wide economic implications – which could involve Indiana's institutions of higher education.

There's an old adage – "If you do good, you'll do well." If Indiana universities focus on playing a role in homeland security, we'll be doing our part to keep the nation safe while reaping potential economic rewards.

For example, cyberterrorism is a looming threat; a hacker could deal a tremendous blow to our computer infrastructure – not with guns or bombs, but with the click of a mouse. Individual computer viruses like the "Melissa" bug of 1999 and the "Love Bug" virus of 2000 cost billions of dollars in damage. A coordinated attack that focuses on the financial markets or wiping out prescription drug records, for example, could be vastly more harmful.

New technologies to prevent cyberterror are easily applicable in the private sector to help businesses combat viruses, competitive mischief or more garden-variety cyber-crimes like online identity theft.

Port security is another key area. Tens of thousands of containers are shipped through U.S. ports every day, and any one could hold a potential threat – it's impossible to inspect all of this freight by hand. Automatic identification (AutoID) technologies can streamline cargo screening, cutting the manpower and time needed to identify and secure freight shipments. AutoID includes barcodes, sensors and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, which convey data by radio signal.

Creating and managing systems that connect new technologies like RFID seamlessly with inventory tracking mechanisms and enterprise management software would also have obvious benefits in the manufacturing and retail sectors, where "just-in-time" inventory and lean operational principles have made taming the modern supply chain a priority.

Indiana should answer the call. By focusing some of our best minds on homeland security issues, the state can attract federal funds and position itself on the cutting-edge of technological development in key industry areas. Our universities are the front line of this effort.

At Purdue University, for example, a Homeland Security Institute has been formed within the university's interdisciplinary Discovery Park research complex. The institute provides a forum for Purdue faculty from a variety of academic areas to collaborate on research in targeted areas like biosecurity, sensor technologies, infrastructure security, economic security, cyber security, power grid security, and food and plant security.

Purdue's Homeland Security Institute recently signed an agreement with Indiana University, the Indiana Counter-Terrorism and Security Council and the Crane Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, to collaborate on the development of technologies designed for homeland security. This kind of partnership bodes well for growing Indiana's homeland security sector.

I was proud to steer the Purdue Institute before being asked by Governor Daniels to become the first Executive Director of Indiana’s Department of Homeland Security. I was attracted to Purdue because of its strong research base and commitment to encouraging collaboration among disciplines through Discovery Park. In my new position, I’m learning that Indiana has a wealth of assets that can strengthen our national security while laying the groundwork for a stronger economy. Indiana is leading the nation with the first state Department of Homeland Security, the first large state-wide implementation of the 800 MHz interoperable communications and the first integrated state-wide collection of Geographic Information Systems data. We just need to provide leadership, stay focused and work together.

Homeland security is a priority that we all share and should pursue aggressively. Like the space program, it also offers a potential economic impact far beyond its stated purpose, with implications in information technology, logistics, manufacturing and the life sciences. Centers of excellence like the Homeland Security Institute at Purdue are key to exploring these opportunities for Indiana to offer national leadership and security for our citizens.

To the News Service home page