As the Secret Service sifts through the details of how Tareq and Michaele Salahi crashed the Nov. 24 White House state dinner without an invitation, Aliya Sternstein of nextgov.com asks government technology experts a critical question: Could mobile technology have prevented this brazen act?

Some government technology specialists told her that, indeed, mobile devices could have helped prevent this security violation. Nextgov.com points out that Congress gave the Secret Service nearly $34 million to consolidate networks. Congress said the funds should be used for information technology modernization.

"Let's not forget that protective security entails human elements as well as technology elements and that the Secret Service is not the only player in White House security," said Ray Bjorklund, senior vice president and chief knowledge officer for FedSources, a market research firm based out of McLean, Va. "Information sharing and, more specifically, intelligence sharing within the intelligence community, and command, control and intelligence systems...are integral to operations."

However, Secret Service spokesman Malcolm Wiley believes that a lack of information sharing tools played no role in the error. "Technology played no part, nor did any failing of technology," he said.

Secret Service officials said initial findings show personnel failed to follow protocol at one of the initial checkpoints in verifying that the couple was on the White House guest list. It's not the first time the White House has faced embarrassment over security issues. Recall a few months ago a major flap when Air Force One, the president's plane, flew low over Manhattan for a picture-taking session.

For more on the White House security breach:
- check out this nextgov.com article

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