Cargo pros: Theft more threat than terror

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Cargo and supply chain security specialists rate theft a bigger threat than terrorism, according to a new survey.

Eyefortransport, a provider of news and information to the logistics and transportation industry, questioned 330 professionals by e-mail in August in its fourth annual survey.

When asked which area of security was the greatest challenge for their organizations, 50 percent of respondents said “reducing cargo theft across the supply chain,” compared with 41 percent in last year’s survey.

By contrast, only a third named “implementing a security program to safeguard against a terrorist threat” as their major challenge.

This issue has see-sawed in importance over the past four years, from 76 percent in 2004, to 37 in 2005, 22 percent in 2006 and 34 percent this year.

In terms of security measures, physical ones were the most widespread, with almost two-thirds of respondents having installed locks, gates and fences -- 65 percent, the same as last year -- and 43 percent having implemented area surveillance.

But personnel screening measures were also common, with 52 percent reporting they were employed.

When asked what security solutions were being considered for the future, almost half said that their companies plan to use Radio Frequency Identification technology, while almost a third are looking at so-called smart containers.

More than one in five said they were considering the merits of personnel screening.