Terrorist or traveller? Software will decide

The airline industry could reduce the threat of terrorist attack by employing data mining techniques to identify potential suspects.

HNC Software, a specialist in fraud detection, is teaming up with PROS Revenue Management to develop the world's first risk analysis system for airline passengers.

The company claims anonymous passenger data such as booking patterns and destinations can be analysed to produce a 'risk score' for travellers. Joseph Sirosh, HNC's executive director of R&D, said: "It's similar to the data used in fraud detection systems. We can build on years of historical data to identify patterns."

HNC is working with a leading US clinical physiologist employed in the 1980s to develop counter-terrorist systems. According to HNC, the physiologist - who cannot be named for security reasons - believes that had such a system been in place before 11 September some of the 19 hijackers posthumously identified by the FBI might have been picked up.

"It's not a system which indicts a person, it just gives them a probable score," said Sirosh. "Then it's up to the airline. If they have a medium risk score perhaps they would ask for a second form of ID, if it's a high risk score they might search their luggage."

Joseph Del Balzo, former acting administrator of the US Federal Aviation Administration, has already provided his seal of approval. "I am confident this technology will be a critical element of a layered defence approach to airline security that will enormously enhance safety," he said in a statement.

Based heavily on existing fraud software, the system should only take a few months to develop.

Despite the downturn in the market, HNC is hoping many of PROS' 80 existing airline customers, including Air Canada, America West, Continental and Virgin, will recognise its potential. "I hope we can convince airlines that a system like this could help prevent such huge losses happening again," said Sirosh.