I had the opportunity to give a talk on privacy issues to the wonderful people at United States Visitor & Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program. US-VISIT is part of the Department of Homeland Security that provides visa-issuing posts and ports of entry with the biometric technology that enables the U.S. government to establish and verify your identity when you visit the United States. In short, US-VISIT are a dedicated group of people trying to do a difficult job to help make the U.S. safer.

After spending an hour discussing privacy from a different perspective, the manager of the group sponsoring my talk handed me a token of their appreciation. The token is a Challenge Coin made specially for US-VISIT.

This beautiful challenge coin is 42mm in diameter with US-VIST logo on the obverse where the agency name is enameled in blue and red. The reverse is a great interpretation of the of the Department of Homeland Security’s logo. I was handed the challenge coin in a ringed Air-Tite holder.

The manager told me that US-VISIT restricts the distribution of these challenge coins. They are given to visitors and dignitaries as a sign of appreciation. US-VISIT also gives them to retirees. Very few have been made and even fewer have been distributed.

It was an honor to talk about privacy issues to the members of the US-VISIT program and it is really an honor to have received one of their Challenge Coins. I appreciate both opportunities.