The US technology industry must open up in the war on terror, according to the country's Homeland Security Director, Tom Ridge.

Ridge called on members of the Electronic Industries Alliance, which includes technology companies and interest groups, to create new weapons against terrorism such as better smart ID cards and more effective X-ray scanners for airports.

If the technology industry does not innovate in the area of security, the nation faces being outsmarted by terrorists, he warned.

"The country needs technology on our borders to separate high-risk people and high-risk cargo from no-risk people and no-risk cargo," said Ridge.

However, he warned that personal freedom will be a casualty in the war on terror. "The reality means that states and local governments must have efficient hi-tech emergency management systems and communications devices."

America's leading technology firms must also make sure that they are watching their own backs. "Terrorists sitting at one computer can create worldwide havoc," said Ridge. "All a terrorist needs is a weapon of mass disruption."

He explained that it was too easy for a terrorist to get into some companies just by walking through the door and sitting at a PC.

David McCurdy, president of the Electronic Industries Alliance, maintained that the IT industry will be engaged in anti-terrorism security for many years to come.

"This is a marathon, not a sprint, and some of the early challenges are obvious: technology and human management in airport security," he said.