Software Helping To Clear Up Terrorist Watch Lists.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)(Q & A)

Byline: DOUG TSURUOKA

There have been fumbles in the war on terror. One common flub: Airport security guards stop innocent people after their names or data match those of known terrorists.

Problems often result from security officers not checking the right data sources in government computers. There also have been gaffes translating names or other personal data into English. And hassling innocent people isn't the only risk. Faulty databases make it easier for real terrorists to slip through.

The Inspector General's Office, which monitors U.S. agencies, is concerned about the problem. It issued a report in early October, saying the Department of Homeland Security isn't doing enough to consolidate terrorist watch lists.

Tony Fisher expects technology to be part of the solution. He's president of DataFlux, a unit of the data management software firm SAS Institute. Software can ensure accurate identifications, he says, even with cultural and language barriers.

DataFlux and others already provide some of this software to U.S. law enforcement agencies. The technology also is used to track white-collar crime or do billing, shipping or marketing tasks.

But government needs to get more serious about tapping data management systems, Fisher says.