Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly spoke about the future of his department at a gathering of the nation’s top security experts in Aspen on Wednesday.
Kelly spoke about new challenges facing the Department of Homeland Security in the two decades since 9/11, including sophisticated electronic devices.
“There are people out there, very smart people, very sophisticated people who do nothing but try to figure out how to blow up an airplane in flight,” Kelly said.
He said the answer is improved technology, including advanced scanners at airports, facial recognition software at ports of entry, and modernized passports across the world.
“The attempt, just like in aviation security, is raise the bar for the world,” he said.
The Aspen Security Forum continues through Saturday with speakers including CIA director Mike Pompeo and Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats.
