First things, first. If you have not already done so, please consider supporting one of the organizations providing humanitarian and other assistance to the people of Ukraine.
There has been a lot written about the military and geopolitical impacts of Russia’s invasion. Here are my initial thoughts on how it might impact the world of homeland security technology.
Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction just got a lot more important. There was always something a little “theoretical” about the idea of state-sponsored terrorists getting their hands on nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons of mass destruction. But with Vladimir Putin openly hinting at the use of such weapons, this threat has become more real. I expect to see more calls for funding for inspection technologies to detect these threats at US ports and borders.
National cybersecurity legislation. No matter what happens in Ukraine, we will be in an adversarial relationship with Russia as long as Vladimir Putin is in power. We should expect and prepare for coordinated cyberattacks against our national infrastructure. From a technology standpoint, I think it is inevitable that we will have more national regulations for operators of such infrastructure (such as US airports) that require cyberattack reporting and minimum standards of cybersecurity.
A new impetus for biometrics. Is it possible that Putin will encourage/help terrorists to enter the US as a way of countering our support for Ukraine? Don’t bet against it. More than ever before, the American government will want to ensure that people crossing our borders or boarding US aircraft are who they say we are. My guess is that in turn will motivate US DHS to find ways to accelerate the upgrading and implementation of biometric technology.
