US-VISIT
When you want to enter the US, you get processed by the US-VISIT system. Two fingerprints and a photo are taken from you. From my view, it´s something like a accounting system for visitors. To state it simple: you check in to the US and you check out of the US. In principle you know, how many and which visitors are in the country. Sounds good. But in fact, the reality isn´t always cute to such simple thoughts: In an report of the Government Accountability Office several problems with this system were reported, ranging from organisatorical and technological problems with it. My personal conclusions from this story:
- You can´t buy security, even billions of dollar are incapable to this job.
- Technology will leave you alone on half way, when you expect perfection. Technology is designed with defined limitations and capabilities. When you are not able to control the circumstances to be perfectly in your specification you are essentially toast (for example: How do you ensure, that an RFID´ed passport leaves the country with the person