The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has signed an 18-month contract with a technology company to test a container security program at its facilities.

Impeva Labs, Mountain View, CA, will supply the Port Authority with its Global Sentinel wireless module, which is mounted inside the container and can report the location of the container, its condition and security status on a continuous basis.

The program is part of the third phase of Operation Safe Commerce, a program launched in 2002 by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Customs Service.

According to the DOT, the goal of the program is to provide a testing ground for new security techniques designed to enhance container security.

The first phase of the program tested a single container as it made its way through the supply chain from the European country of Slovakia to New Hampshire .

The second phase involved an evaluation of the supply chain and looked at security areas that needed improvement. Phase II also sought and tested technologies that would enhance security at the ports.

Phase III involves taking the most promising of those technologies and testing them in real-life situations and developing recommendations for international standards for secure and efficient container shipping.

The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach , and the Port of Seattle have also been selected to participate in the program.