Border security

Homeland Security Looks To Blockchain To Track People, Goods Across Borders

The Department of Homeland Security is testing blockchain technology to secure cameras and other devices at U.S. ports of entry, including borders and airports. The goal is to better detect and stop intruders who try to impede the devices or manipulate the data they collect.

DHS runs thousands of devices in airports, at ports, and on the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada, including sensors that detect movement and temperature changes, X-ray machines, and video and still cameras. On a typical day, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is a law enforcement group within DHS, screens one million travelers and 67,000 cargo containers, and makes 1,100 arrests related to immigration, drug trafficking and trade violations.