ABSTRACT
Granting access into port facilities is a challenge without severely disrupting passenger operations, commerce, international trade, and recreational and tourist-related port business. Ports present an attractive target for terrorists and developing criminal conspiracies due to their component role in national and local economies. They contain important assets and infrastructure, which, if damaged, could cause significant loss of life, as well as damage to the port facility, economy, and the environment. The importance of developing comprehensive port access control systems and protocols cannot be understated. As the basic function of security is to protect the target environment from harm, the foundation of this effort is the establishment of an effective regimen of control over who and what will be permitted to enter the environment. As the access control infrastructure in Figure 7.1 suggests, port facilities must strike the right balance between efficient throughput and knowing precisely who and what is coming in.
