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Detection: Scanning and ‘Sniffing’ Technologies

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Counter-Terrorism Technologies

Abstract

Even the best efforts of counter-terrorism specialists sometimes come to naught when an individual or a group with ill intent slips through the net for one reason or another. Hence, in this chapter I look at yet another ‘silver bullet’ in the shape of technology that enables us to see beneath the layer of clothing, or beneath the canvass of a backpack, in order to decide whether there is a threat or not – especially in the vicinity of access points of locations where many people congregate, thus offering an easy-to-attack soft target. The technologies in question are metal detectors, full-body scanners, explosives detection systems, and explosives trace detectors. I also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various systems, in particular highlighting the controversies around the first generation of full-body scanners.

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Lehr, P. (2019). Detection: Scanning and ‘Sniffing’ Technologies. In: Counter-Terrorism Technologies. Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90924-0_7

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