Security subjects are becoming hugely important in the light of the development and deployment of new Homeland Defense solutions. Such solutions require the design of new computer systems and techniques allowing security procedures to be executed on many different planes, from system, communication and organization security to the security of the state and ensuring its defense capabilities. Advanced IT technologies based on intelligent algorithms that can analyze group behavior and interpret complex patterns or situations are increasingly frequently becoming the building blocks of the above solutions. In this context, it is worth noting research that combines security and defense aspects with achievements in designing advanced systems for the acquisition and sophisticated semantic analysis of complex image patterns and group behaviors. Such systems use cognitive models of semantic interpretation and can be applied to develop e.g. algorithms and protocols used for the security of computer systems themselves, but also to ensure the confidentiality and security of communication networks. They can also be employed to develop globally understood safe solutions connected with activities to strengthen national defense capability.

This special issue focuses on the challenges and solutions for Homeland Defense and Security (HDS). We believe that it will provide the latest issues and progress in the area of HDS while publishing high quality papers which are closely related to the various theories and practical applications in HDS.

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

Homeland Security and Information Processing
Personal Security and Biometric
Intelligent Robots and Unmanned Vehicles
Target and Pattern Recognition
Sensor and Data Analysis
Semantic Image and Data Processing
Information Fusion
Advanced Vision Algorithms
Security in Ambient Intelligence
Context- and Location-aware Computing
Embedded systems in Security
Knowledge-based Systems for Internet Security
Security issues and protocols for Internet services
Privacy and trust for Internet services
Artificial Intelligence and Computational intelligence
Cognitive informatics
Cognitive models of the brain
Mathematical foundations of computing and cryptography
Biologically inspired information systems
and secret data management
Cognitive image and scene understanding
Intelligent Health Technologies
Submission Format and Guideline

All submitted papers must be clearly written in excellent English and contain only original work, which has not been published by or is currently under review for any other journal or conference. A detailed submission guideline is available as “Guide to Authors” at http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/622893/authorinstructions.

All manuscripts and any supplementary material should be submitted through Elsevier Editorial System (EES). The authors must select as “SI –HomelandSec-Ilsun” when they reach the “Article Type” step in the submission process. The EES website is located at: http://ees.elsevier.com/jnca/

Requests for additional information should be addressed to the guest editors.

Editor in Chief

Mohammed Atiquzzaman
University of Oklahoma

Guest Editors

Dr. Ilsun You
Korean Bible University, Korea
ilsunu@gmail.com

Prof. Marek R. Ogiela
AGH Univ. of Sci. & Tech. Institute of Automatics, Poland
mogiela@agh.edu.pl

Prof. A Min Tjoa
Vienna University of Technology, Austria
amin@ifs.tuwien.ac.at

Dr. Dongwan Shin
New Mexico Tech, USA
doshin@nmt.edu

Important dates

Paper submission: October 26, 2012
1st Acceptance Notification: January 21, 2013
1st Revision: February 28, 2013
Final Acceptance Notification: March 31, 2013