Derek Griffith received a BSc in Physics and Computer Science from the University of Cape Town in 1985. Since then he has worked in the field of Optical Engineering at the CSIR in Pretoria. He gained significant experience in optical design and optical systems development for a wide range of applications, including long-range surveillance, night vision, laser-beam delivery, remote sensing, astronomy and machine vision, covering the spectral region from the solar-blind ultraviolet to the long-wave infrared. The Optical Engineering group was later incorporated into the Defence Electronics Programme of CSIR and the focus then shifted to prototype development of military surveillance systems as well as laboratory and field testing of such systems. Of late, he has become involved in higher level studies with respect to effectiveness modeling of surveillance systems.