Travel Security

Current security levels

2010-09-14T21:13:00.002-04:00

Origin unknown, but there's enough here to offend everyone:

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorised from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great fire of 1666.

The Scots raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards" They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line in the British army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide". The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France 's white flag factory, effectively paralysing the country's military capability. It's not only the French who are on a heightened level of alert.

Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout loudly and excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose".

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels .

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Americans meanwhile are carrying out pre-emptive strikes on all of their allies, just in case.

New Zealand has also raised its security levels - from "baaa" to "BAAAA!". Due to continuing defence cutbacks (the air force being a squadron of spotty teenagers flying paper aeroplanes and the navy some toy boats in the Prime Minister's bath), New Zealand only has one more level of escalation, which is "Shit, I hope Australia will come and rescue us".

Australia , meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be alright, mate". Three more escalation levels remain, "Crikey!', "I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend" and "The barbie is cancelled". So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.

Counter Terror Gazette

2010-08-10T21:15:00.003-04:00

The magazine Aviation Security International is getting ready to launch a sister publication called Counter Terror Gazette. Here's a preview of the Gazette:

Child's Play: Throughout history, armies have used children to fight their battles and this continues in some countries to this day. In 2007, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that an estimated 200,000-300,000 children were serving as soldiers for both governments and militant groups around the world.
Israeli Bus Bomb Attacks: Throughout the 1990s, suicide bomb attacks on Israel's public bus network and at bus stations were a common phenomenon. Following the end of the First Intifada in 1993, until the outbreak of the Second Intifada in September 2000, there were 10 suicide attacks against buses. With the outbreak of the Second Intifada, these attacks increased dramatically, and remained highuntil the end of 2005. In the five years since then, Palestinian militant attacks in general within Israel, not only those targeting buses, have decreased significantly.

Case Study - Times Square Car Bomb: On 1 May, smoke was seen coming from a Nissan Pathfinder SUV, with its engine and hazard lights on,parked on Times Square at approximately 6.30pm localtime. A police officer saw canisters inside the car and the smell of gunpowder. The bomb had ignited but had failed to detonate.

Group Profile: FARC: In early July 2010, the Colombian military killed 13 FARC rebels in an operation on the country's Caribbean coast. In mid-July, the Colombian government said it had clear evidence that Venezuela - long suspected of harbouring FARC and ELN militants a charge denied by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez - was giving shelter to leaders of both groups.

Terror Watch: A roundup of significant attacks from around the globe in the past two months.

Registered subscribers of Aviation Security International will receive a copy of Counter Terror Gazette in the Aug/Sep 2010 issue of ASI.

High tech airport security

2010-01-19T21:54:00.003-05:00

An interesting piece in InformationWeek:

IBM Patenting Airport Security Profiling Technology

IBM, it seems, is very interested in computer-based airport security and has applied for a number of patents to claim invention of the methods:

A dozen "secret" patent applications define a sophisticated scheme for airport terminal and perimeter protection, incorporating potential support for computer implementation of passenger behavioral profiling to detect security threats.

What we have is a grid of networked computers that receive data from a collection of sensors: “video, motion, chemical, and biometric.” The data is analyzed real-time and presented to security personnel. According to Robert Angell, one of the inventors, "If it's done right, we could do passive profiling [and] passive detection and do it without a whole lot of fanfare."

This technology is pretty interesting:

Attributes may include an individual's age, make and/or model of a vehicle, color of a hat, breed of a dog, sound of an engine, a medical diagnosis, a date of birth, a color, item of clothing, walking, talking, running, a type of food eaten, an identification of an item purchased.

An attribute that is an event may include eating, smoking, walking, jogging, walking a dog, carrying bags, carrying a baby, riding a bicycle, an engine running, a baby crying, or any other event.

The individual patents are fascinating, and the article describes a few:

Detecting Behavioral Deviations By Measuring Eye Movements

Unique Cohort Discovery From Multimodal Sensory Devices

Detecting Behavioral Deviations by Measuring Respiratory Patterns in Cohort Groups

We have found Big Brother and he is Big Blue! Somehow digitally automated profiling leaves more of a bad taste in my mouth than profiling by trained humans. I know that’s not entirely logical. Will we acquiesce to this as the price we pay for security? I don’t know. Maybe it’s too late anyway.

More threats, more security

2010-01-16T10:11:00.004-05:00

Amid reports of new threats from al-Qaeda in Yemen, security requirements are increasing. From CBN News:

A U.S. counterterrorism official said American intelligence agencies are intensely examining all information about the threats, including potential plots and specific individuals.

Air travelers can look for increased screening at the airport, including random checks, and more armed air marshals on flights. No doubt, the size of the watch and no fly lists have been growing, so increased numbers of "false positives" are likely. What are the odds that you have the same name as someone else?

Chris Elliott on Airplane Geeks Podcast

2010-01-13T07:21:00.003-05:00

Christopher Elliott, one of the journalists served a subpoena by the TSA, appeared as our guest on Episode 80 of the Airplane Geeks podcast. We only had Chris for a short time, but his comments were interesting and insightful.

You don't need an iPod to listen in, just visit the Airplane Geeks website and look for Episode 80.

TSA subpoenas bloggers

2009-12-31T09:33:00.006-05:00

On Tuesday, December 29, 2009, Federal agents from the TSA visited the homes of two people who had blogged copies of TSA Security Directive 1544-09-06 dated December 25, 2009. Armed with subpoenas, the agents wanted to know the source of the document.

The Directive, issued after the failed Christmas 2009 terrorist bombing attempt on a Northwest/Delta flight, was sent to airlines and airports world-wide and specifies new security measures: pat-downs, seated for the last hour of flight, no in-flight indications of aircraft location, and many others. It's not a secret or classified document, and it was not distributed publicly. But of course, air travelers quickly learn what the new measures are - because they experience them directly.

The reports by blogger Steven Frischling and travel writer Christopher Elliott (the Washington Post, MSNBC, others) indicate that the TSA was somewhat aggressive in demanding their source, and Frischling's computer was taken for a period of time.

Rob Mark, over at JetWhine.com, posted an audio interview with Mary Kirby from FlightGlobal on this. Listen to that at TSA and Bloggers Tied 1-1.

The TSA has a bit of a problem here. Actually a couple of problems.

First, going after journalists/bloggers/writers like this accomplishes nothing good and only damages the public image of the TSA. There isn't any real harm reading in advance that you won't be able to get up to go to the bathroom in the last hour of your flight, so what's the big deal?

Second, maybe the TSA has an internal leak that they need to address. Frischling says he doesn't know for sure the identity of the person who emailed him the document, but in the past this person has said he was a TSA employee.

It was bad enough that the security measures initially enacted by the TSA were bordering on nonsensical, but now we see them making a huge fuss about nothing. I think we have a leadership issue here.

Sources:

New York Times, TSA Subpoenas Bloggers, Demands Names of Sources

Wired, TSA Threatens Blogger Who Posted New Screening Directive

Elliott.org, Full text of SD 1544-09-06 authorizing pat-downs, physical inspections

Elliott.org, Full text of my subpoena from the Department of Homeland Security

Flying With Fish, The Fallout From SD-1544-09-06 : The Feds At My Door

Should we fire the TSA?

2009-12-30T11:23:00.012-05:00

Reader Larry from Texas sent in a note expressing his frustration with the "rules" the TSA implemented immediately after the Christmas bombing attempt on Northwest Flight 253. Recall that these rules included restrictions on what passengers were allowed to do in the final hour of a flight. Since these were reportedly the same actions taken by the terrorist (a visit to the bathroom, covering up with a blanket, etc.), we assume the subsequent restrictions were enacted to prevent another bombing attempt.

Here's Larry:

"This most recent attack attempt is an Islamic issue, is it not? Even our President Obama will not call it what it is. Will you?"

Well, I think it is an extremist Islamic issue. We shouldn't conclude that all of Islam is a problem, but we should understand mainstream Islam in order to help understand the extremist minority.

"Only in the United States of America can restricting your urinary needs fight terrorism!"

I agree that it is a comical reaction. On the face of it, getting up from your seat in the final hour of flight is not a terrorist act, nor is it required to perform a terrorist act. Saying you can't pee then doesn't seem to make sense.

Now, I did hear something from Dr. Todd Curtis at AirSafe.com that started to make a little sense. He said a temporary restriction like this might deter copycat terrorists - people who just try to recreate the same bomb attempt without really thinking it through. I guess, but it's a little hard to imagine someone out there doing that.

"Here is the deal as I see it. An educated fool from a piss pot place like Nigeria is allowed to board an airliner with so many red flags flown for so many of the so called overseers of aviation security. Nigeria is a given that security is nil. How the idiot passed through the Dutch system even as an international passenger is a shocker. The Dutch don’t play games with security. How the idiot did not end up on the “No Fly” list after his own father denounced him to the Americans is a disgrace! The failure was an American failure in the final result. The idiot was allowed on an American carrier! Only his stupidity and the quick action of passengers and crew prevented a disaster on Christmas."

This is a problem. The U.S. Government is not as connected across all it's agencies as it could be. Little bits of intelligence can exist here and there, but there is not always a process that connects all the related bits. We need to change that, but carefully so as not to create a "central repository" of all your personal information that can be abused. I don't necessarily mean "abused" in an evil way. It wouldn't be too hard to abuse the information in well intended ways.

"Someone in the American government quickly dictated that there would be no toilet use in the last hour of flight to fight terrorism! A NO PEE rule will prevent terrorist attacks! We have not been told who is the originator of that ruling but we should know. We should also know that that person has been fired from government service. Rather than find out how this string of human and system failures happened this government employee focused on the NO PEE regulation!

"How many passengers have medical conditions that cause sudden and frequent need for urination? If you notice the radio and television commercials most must have something going on in the PEE-PEE department. How many would chance arrest by defying the NO PEE rule over wetting his/her pants in flight? I would! What in the name of enlarged prostates is this government doing? I will not wet my pants on any flight!"

As a member of the enlarged prostate club, I can easily identify with Larry on this. There are times when I just gotta go! I could probably write a book on "interesting places I have pee'd" and there are plenty of people out there who have other issues that cause them to need a bathroom on very short notice. I know some of them who don't fly for just this reason. Those of us in the commercial aviation industry want to see more flyers, not fewer!

Now, on the issue of how these rules came into effect, I'd be very interested to know the process the TSA goes through to arrive at actions immediately following a terrorist act. Sure, we want them to react quickly, but not without thought and some process of vetting the proposed rules.

"A stupid religious nut from the third world has outfoxed the American Government again. How bloody sad! Only Americans can allow this kind of politically correct bowing to the Muslim community to continue or to be abruptly halted and reversed. If you knew you were in the sights of the next Islamic attack would you be politically correct or in prevent it? Profile and neutralize the enemy!

"I do not care if Muslims are offended. I AM OFFENDED that Muslims think I should walk on eggs for fear that they might be insulted if I protect my safety in the air! I am offended when my government, media, and even our universities are bowing to the Muslim community not wanting to offend them.

"This most recent attack attempt is an Islamic issue, is it not? Even our President Obama will not call it what it is. Will you?"

Here I differ a little from Larry, although I do respect his viewpoint. Again, I think it is an Islamic extremist issue - one that we need to understand and effectively deal with. I'd like to hope that we could do so without "collateral" damage to non-extremist Muslims who are innocents, but I recognize this might be hard. Especially if the frequency or scope of terrorist acts increases.

My views probably won't satisfy reader Larry, but I'd be interested in your thoughts. Write a comment to this post and tell us what you think. The comments are moderated so please don't be offensive or hateful and keep it PG-rated. Thanks.

Obama on Airline Security

2009-12-30T08:32:00.002-05:00

At a press conference December 29, 2009, President Barack Obama made some statements about airline security in the wake of the attempted bombing of Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas 2009.

"...I announced two reviews, a review of our terrorist watch list system and a review of our air travel screening so we can find out what went wrong, fix it, and prevent future attacks. Those reviews began on Sunday and are now underway."

Obama means to move quickly and he "directed the preliminary findings be provided to the White House by this Thursday." He admitted to several deficiencies in the system:

"It's been widely reported that the father of the suspect in the Christmas incident warned U.S. officials in Africa about his son's extremist views. It now appears that weeks ago this information was passed to a component of our intelligence community but was not effectively distributed so as to get the suspect's name on a no-fly list."

You take this fact, and combine it with other "clues" (a ticket to the U.S. purchased with cash, no luggage) and it makes you wonder how the security establishment failed to flag the accused terrorist. No doubt a conclusion from the reviews ordered by Obama will be the need for greater communication between government agencies around the world. That, of course, means connecting databases and there are a whole series of issues there - including privacy concerns.

"Had this critical information been shared, it could have been compiled with other intelligence, and a fuller, clearer picture of the suspect would have emerged. The warning signs would have triggered red flags, and the suspect would have never been allowed to board that plane for America."

In his remarks, Obama hinted at something we all wonder about - other terrorist attempts that have been thwarted but not made public:

"Now, the professionalism of the men and women in our intelligence, counterterrorism, and law enforcement, and homeland security communities is extraordinary... They have targeted and taken out violent extremists. They have disrupted plots and saved countless American lives."

It would be interesting to learn the "inside story" about that some day.

For all of President Obama's comments, see The Washington Post Transcript of Obama remarks on Detroit case and airline security.

How we could have prevented the Christmas bomber

2009-12-28T15:52:00.003-05:00

There's a lot of Monday quarterbacking going on since Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to ignite some sort of exposive or incendiary device on Northwest flight 253 Christmas Day 2009. The press and others seem to think this was preventable and the fact that it was not shows the system is deficient.

That all may be true, but we should not automatically assume it is.

An example: I'm seeing news articles (repeated on Twitter) that a backscatter X-ray machine would have prevented this bombing attempt. Well, maybe, if Abdulmutallab (or whoever orchestrated this) is not very smart.

You see, you can use a technology to eliminate a few terrorist methods, but that doesn't mean you've eliminated the threat - only that you've (hopefully) eliminated those methods. If you are a terrorist and you know that backscatter will pick up the bomb materials, what do you do? Well, if you have a brain you pick a different method. If that new method gets thwarted by some counter measure, then you move on again.

It's obvious, no?

So yes, we might have prevented this specific incident, but that by no means assures us that doing so would have prevented SOME incident.

As I mentioned in the podcast, we're still taking our shoes off to thwart one method. All that does is prevent shoe bombs. This latest incident employed the same bomb materials, just implemented with a new method. We can thwart that method too, but doesn't it seem silly to employ a strategy that chases from one terrorist method to another, after the fact?

So, I don't want to hear any more statements about "this could have been prevented!" If those people are so smart, tell me NOW how the NEXT terrorist act could be prevented.

Michael O'Leary vs. Italy

2009-12-24T21:15:00.004-05:00

Business Week reports in Ryanair threatens to stop local flights in Italy that Ryanair is upset about new rules in Italy for valid ID documents. Air passengers will soon find they can pass through airport gates with such documents as driving licenses, government badges, and fishing and hunting licenses. Ryanair's always vocal Michael O'Leary believes this to be a weakening of airport security and just can't stand it, so he won't be flying to Italy under these conditions. Or so he says now.

Frankly, I'm siding with O'Leary on this one, at least as far as the security angle goes. Unless it's as hard to get a fishing license in Italy as it is to get a passport!

Cloning passport card RFIDs

2009-08-19T06:18:00.003-04:00

This YouTube video by Chris Paget demonstrates how a low-cost mobile device can surreptitiously read RFID tags embedded in United States passport cards and enhanced drivers' licenses.

The Wi-Fi Planet article, RFID Passport Tags Save Time, Risk Privacy provides more information on this topic:

It’s important to note that there’s a key difference between e-passports (passport books) and passport cards. While passport cards use vicinity RFID (EPC Gen 2) technology, which can be read at distances of up to 30 feet, e-passports use ISO 14443 contactless smart card tech with a read range of a few inches. To compensate for their readibility (and therefore hackability) at a distance, passport cards only transmit an ID number that relates back to information stored in a secure central database, while e-passports store and transmit much more detailed information about the passport holder.

RFID vulnerability

2009-08-06T06:12:00.005-04:00

The annual DefCon conference is always entertaining, even if you are not a hacker - and by "hacker" I mean either the white hat or black hat type. This gathering of the technically proficient and those who watch them (typically agencies that go by 3-letter acronyms) has produced insights into the vulnerabilities of RFID-enabled identity cards and documents like passports.

This year was no exception. Wired describes in Feds at DefCon Alarmed After RFIDs Scanned that there was yet another demonstration of a reader that can capture your travel document information without your knowledge.

The reader, connected to a web camera, sniffed data from RFID-enabled ID cards and other documents carried by attendees in pockets and backpacks as they passed a table where the equipment was stationed in full view.

It seems this was set up by a some security researchers and consultants who wanted to make a point:

When the reader caught an RFID chip in its sights — embedded in a company or government agency access card, for example — it grabbed data from the card, and the camera snapped the card holder’s picture.

So just be aware: things are not always as they seem when it comes to your private information.

The Blog @ Homeland Security

2009-06-16T21:52:00.002-04:00

A press release from the Department of Homeland Security:

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)... launched The Blog @ Homeland Security, a new addition to the Department’s web presence designed to increase transparency and facilitate the dialogue between DHS and the American public.

“The Blog reflects our ongoing commitment to communicate directly with the American people about the Department’s efforts across the country and around the world,” said DHS Secretary Napolitano.

The Blog will include frequent updates on the Department’s activities, including breaking news, public events and new initiatives.

The inaugural post, found at http://www.dhs.gov/theblog, features a video message from Secretary Napolitano outlining the Department’s five overarching responsibilities and an invitation for visitors to comment on and provide suggestions for The Blog.

Australian airport security

2009-06-12T07:07:00.003-04:00

A new website is available with valuable airport security information for air travelers. From eTravel Blackboard:

The Department of Infrastructure launched TravelSECURE, a new web site which educates domestic and international travellers about the security measures in place at Australian airports.

TravelSecure provides information about liquid, aerosol and gel restrictions, prohibited items, and travelers with special needs. You'll also find a list of airports where checked baggage screening takes place, and a section with information for travel agents.

Whole Body Imaging Technology That Protects Privacy

2009-06-11T20:55:00.002-04:00

The use of whole body imaging at airport security checkpoints has been somewhat controversial. Some feel the images of your body without clothes is an invasion of privacy. Sean Martin sent in the following, which looks at an alternative:

www.elmatadorfilms.com/Millivision0606.wmv
This video will take about a minute and a half to watch; it shows & tells the whole story!
In light of the passage of a bill last Thursday by Congress, I wanted to bring Millivision to your attention. Millivision, a Massachusetts based company, offers a less invasive alternative “whole-body imaging” technology to that which is currently being used in several airports, and is at the heart of this legislation as well as a national petition drive spurred by outrage from civil liberties advocates.

The bill bans the types of whole body imaging tools currently being used at airports as a primary screening tool. It equates these methods of whole body imaging to a visual strip search. The controversial screening devices, among them - active millimeter wave imagers, display images that show explicit anatomical details of you and your children’s bodies. Millivision provides a safe, private, cost effective solution to global terrorism, detecting items not found by conventional metal detection –EG: plastic and ceramic weapons or explosives, and liquids.
Millivision’s Automatic Threat Detection (ATD) and video imaging software turns the millimeter wave image into a video image so that the screenersees you CLOTHED and the presence and location of concealed threats are highlighted in red. Millivision technology uses a passivemillimeter wave technology – passive technology does NOT USE ANY RADIATION. This safer and more private technology is also more cost-effective in that in requires less man power and screeners than other technology. Below please find two articles related to Thursday’s vote, we are also including a video of how this technology works.
The Millivision imager can be used effectively in facilities such as airports, courthouses, federal buildings, jails - to keep officers and other prisoners safe, and in operations centers for critical infrastructure and utilities and is currently being used in Boston’s MBTA transit police prisoner lock-up at the command center for a large utility company, and a pilot will begin at a federal building in Washington D.C. in the coming weeks.

Security coming to general aviation

2009-05-20T06:23:00.003-04:00

AINonline reports in TSA Airport Security Badging 12 Days Away that starting June 1, 2009 new airport badging requirements go into effect.

This requirement expands the airport identification process to include private aircraft owners, GA maintenance providers, FBO employees, flight instructors, flight school students and other airport tenants needing unescorted access to the airport operations area (AOA).

There are those who debate the method used by the TSA to implement this rule, and it only applies at airports that also serve commercial air carriers. In a mixed GA/commercial setting, I guess it makes sense that all who use the facility are similarly credentialed. Otherwise it seems like a pretty big security hole.

Percolating is the broader issue of the effectiveness of "airline style" security at general aviation airports, something the TSA is looking to do. Requiring private pilots to screen their passengers the way airlines do is not viewed favorably by the GA community.

New passport requirement June 1, 2009

2009-05-04T09:10:00.002-04:00

The rules for acceptable identification for entry (or re-entry) into the United States changes June 1, 2009.

Beginning June 1, U.S. citizens returning home from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda by land or sea will be required to have a passport, passport card or other travel documents approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security pertaining to specific populations and situations.

The RFID-enabled U.S. Passport Card is intended for citizens who live along the border and cross frequently. It is not valid for air travel. Young children must also have appropriate identification, so parents are advised to understand the requirements.

Source: The Huntsville Times, Passport rules will change on June 1.

Better security for Canada's airports

2009-04-12T08:46:00.002-04:00

Last year, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police report said organized crime groups were operating at Canadian airports and moving drugs and guns through them. (See Organized Crime Groups Breach Airport Security In Canada in the Friends of Ours blog.)

In response, the RCMP and Transport Canada have agreed to do something about it. According to the Edmonton Sun in New plan inked to beef up airport security:

The two agencies signed [an] agreement last week to bolster information-sharing and see expanded background checks for workers with access to secure areas at major airports.

It seems that part of the problem has been the ability of criminals to secure jobs at the airports, giving them inside access. Hopefully this measure will have an effect and reduce criminal activity at Canadian airports.

Then again, maybe organized crime is better suited than anyone else to keep terrorists out of the airports.

Naw, probably a bad idea.

GE offers fast screening and explosives detection

2009-03-29T09:30:00.003-04:00

easyBOURSE reports in GE Unveils High-Speed Baggage-Screening System For Airports the development of a baggage screening machine that operates at twice the speed of other systems. Not only that, but this device also detects explosives.

GE... said the system uses three-dimensional imaging technology initially developed for the health-care industry. Computer software then analyzes the high-definition images for density, mass and other factors that could denote concealed explosives.

This thing can scan up to 1,000 bage per hour and will cost more than existing machines, which list for about $1.2 million. The TSA is currently negotiating with GE for a five-year, sole source contract valued at about $330 million.

Aviation safety in Australia

2009-03-11T22:37:00.003-04:00

The Australian Senate found that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) hadn't been agressive enough in pushing safety reforms, and the result is two new bills moving through the process.

The first of the two bills will re-establish a board for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and give it greater powers to check the safety of foreign airlines operating in Australia.

The second bill makes the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) a statutory authority. These bills are designed to raise the level of aviation safety.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia gets stronger aviation laws.

Secure Flight

2009-03-09T07:07:00.003-04:00

Under the new Secure Flight program, the TSA takes responsibility for checking air passengers against watch lists. The airlines won't have to do that anymore, but there is a change that impacts fliers:

Passengers making airline reservations soon will be required to provide their birth date and their sex in addition to their names as part of aviation security enhancements the 9/11 Commission recommended. The information provided at the time seats are booked must exactly match the data on each traveler's ID.

If the data provided does not match that on your identification, you will be denied boarding.

The practical effectiveness of this measure as a terrorist deterrent seems questionable, but that's not different than with many other security measures that have been enacted. Perhaps the TSA simply considers this just one more "layer" in the overall security strategy.

Source: Chicago Tribune, New airport security rules to require more personal information.

Who pays for airport security?

2009-02-28T11:17:00.003-05:00

Aviation Week reports that the new U.S. budget includes an unspecified increase in the air passenger security fee to begin in 2012. Predictably, this drew protest from the Air Transport Association. The ATA maintains that aviation security remains a government responsibility and should thus be funded by the government.

Source: White House Hints At New User Fees.

Time to stand up and be counted

2009-02-25T06:50:00.003-05:00

This is the last week for public comment on the TSA's so-called Large Aircraft Security Program. The LASP seeks to apply "airline style" security measures to general aviation aircraft over 12,500 pounds, which isn't all that "large." This means, for example, background checks on your passengers and other requirements that burden GA pilots and airports.

If you need motivation to speak up, go to the Max Trescott on the General Aviation blog and read the post "TSA’s LSAP: A Solution in Search of a Problem."

For more background and opinion, see Jetwhine and StopLASP.

Do it now.

Stupid stickers

2009-02-18T07:03:00.003-05:00

It seems there is a punk rock band named "This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb." I didn't bother to learn why the band chose that name because, well, it really doesn't matter to me. What I did find interesting is that the band's promotional material featured the band's name, as you might expect. That's fine, except in certain circumstances. Like at the airport.

...a Memphis airport terminal was evacuated when a bike sporting a This Bike is a Pipe Bomb sticker was left near the passenger ramps. Security officials brought in a K-9 unit which found no explosives. The owner of the bike with the This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb was initially taken into police custody but was released when police determined that he had not broken any laws.

There have been other security scares as a result of this sticker, but the here's the message for the clueless: "don't leave your bike at the airport if it displays messages that are guaranteed to get the attention of airport security!"

Source: Associated Content, This Bike is a Pipe Bomb's Long, Stupid Name Prompts Long, Stupid History of Security Alerts.

Stimulus money for aviation security

2009-01-28T22:26:00.003-05:00

An economic-stimulus bill approved Tuesday by the Senate Appropriations Committee contained more than $5 billion for spending on homeland security, including projects to upgrade security at the nation's airports, bridges, tunnels, dams and levees.

This $5B is said to create 62,000 new jobs. $1.2B of the total is for new baggage screening and security checkpoint equipment at U.S. airports. That sounds like something with a direct impact on the travel experience of flyers, but look at this: The Department of Homeland Security gets a new headquarters building. To the tune of $248 million. Yikes. The best part: it's on grounds currently occupied by a federal psychiatric hospital. Seems fitting.

See easyBourse, Stimulus Bill Includes Spending On US Security Upgrades

US Airways Flight 1549 video

2009-01-17T21:40:00.002-05:00

Capt'n Chris, over at the Plane Madness site, has posted a good video of the Flight 1549 accident.

This is pretty much the entire sequence, from initial ditching to ferry’s pulling up, captured as it happened by a fairly good resolution video camera operated by the Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service. Fast forward to the 2:00 mark to start.

Worth a look.

Chris is a Captain for a major airline and runs a great blog and podcast.

US Airways crash landing news

2009-01-16T06:46:00.002-05:00

For the latest news on the US Airways Airbus A320 crash landing in New York’s Hudson River, click this link:

http://news.google.com/?ncl=1293359630&hl=en&topic=h&scoring=n

It will bring up Google News with the most recent links first.

The Science of Airport Security

2009-01-03T10:58:00.002-05:00

If you are going to be anywhere near Marion, Ohio the evening of Tuesday, January 6, 2009, you might want to attend the free Marion Science Café discussion on airport security.

The Marion Science Café meets monthly to engage in lively conversation with a scientist about current science topics.

In this science café we will look at the technology currently deployed in airports, as well as those technologies that are on the horizon. We will go over the scientific concepts that these instruments exploit and what this science tells us about the dangers that our airport security can detect. Some of these technologies also bring up serious ethical concerns and we will briefly explore the intersection of these concerns with the security goals.

This event will be held at 7:00pm at the Infinity Restaurant, 267 West Center Street, Marion, Ohio.

Large Aircraft Security Program

2009-01-01T17:16:00.004-05:00

The TSA has proposed that general aviation aircraft over 12,500 pounds are to be subject to security rules similar to those followed by the airlines.

The new rules would require all operators of Part 91 aircraft with an mtow of more than 12,500 pounds to create a TSA-approved security program, run all flight crew through FBI criminal history background checks, check all passengers against the TSA’s watch lists and impose new restrictions on carriage of certain items in the cabin.

AINonline, TSA seeks comment on LASP

This Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) proposal is generating some resistance, and the TSA is holding a series of town hall meetings for public comment:

January 6, White Plains, New York
January 8, Atlanta, Georgia
January 16, Chicago, Illinois
January 23, Burbank, California
January 28, Houston, Texas

The public comment period ends February 27.

TSA week at a glance

2009-01-01T16:42:00.002-05:00

Ever wonder what the TSA uncovers in a typical week? Well, for the week of December 22, 2008 to December 28, 2008, the TSA reports:

13 passengers were arrested due to suspicious behavior or fraudulent travel documents

20 firearms found at checkpoints

1 artfully concealed prohibited item found at checkpoint

16 incidents that involved a checkpoint closure, terminal evacuation or sterile area breach

Twenty guns? Gee...

Defeating security with someone else's finger prints

2009-01-01T15:45:00.003-05:00

In 2007, Japan implemented a biometric security system at 30 airports designed to detect terrorists and others by means of fingerprints. Well, it seems the system can be defeated through the use of tape on your fingers with someone else's fingerprints. [Update: More recent reports do not specifically mention another person's prints on the tape, suggesting the tape alone fooled the scanner. Final clarification on this is pending.]

A South Korean woman, previously deported from Japan, was found to have used this technique to illegally re-enter the country. (S. Korean woman 'tricked' airport fingerprint scan.)

The immigration bureau reported to the Justice Ministry that a considerable number of South Koreans might have entered Japan illegally using the same technique, as a South Korean broker is believed to have helped the woman enter Japan. The ministry also has begun an investigation into the case.

This was discovered after an anonymous tip that the woman was back in Japan.

Travel tip when carrying valuables

2008-12-25T12:23:00.003-05:00

I subscribe to Natalia Ippolito's Travel Security Tip of the Week. The latest one offers some good advice, and is a bit humorous:

A coin dealer I know traveled with a lot of gold coins and requested a private inspection. He and the inspector went behind the screen, and the inspector said, loudly, "Wow! Look at all that gold! I never saw so much gold!" The dealer said, "thanks, now everyone knows what I have on me!"

Thanks "GR" for submitting this story!

Don't let this happen to you. If you have valuables, make sure you ask for a private screening and ask the TSA officer to be silent during the screening process and report them if they don't comply.

Go to http://www.airportbook.com/bookstore.htm and download all 369 tips to a safe, easy and effortless screening process!

Happy & Safe Travels!
Natalia

You can subscribe to Natalia's free tips by email at http://divineislandbooks.com/.

Airport security seminars

2008-12-13T20:32:00.005-05:00

Thirty Thousand Feet recently received notice of an event entitled Innovations in Airport Security Technologies which will be held in February 2009 in Canberra, Australia. This event consists of two parts which can be attended together or separately:

Security X-ray Screening, Training and Monitoring (16th –18th February 2009)

Profiling Techniques (19th – 20th February 2009)

These are being sponsored by Renful Premier Technologies. They provide a range of specialist security services to government agencies, business corporations, airports and airlines worldwide. Typical projects include risk assessments, procurement support, and vulnerability assessments on critical infrastructure. They maintain a network of strategic alliances around the world which provides global capability.

Where did the 4th amendment go?

2008-12-13T13:20:00.002-05:00

I have been uncomfortable with the increasing number of reports about people having their electronic devices searched when entering the U.S. Laptop computers, mobile phones, mp3 players, digital cameras, and even USB "thumb drives" are subject to detailed examination. There are stories of air travelers with encrypted drives being forced to reveal the pass phrase or risk confiscation.

Should Border agents have full access to all the electronic data and files you have in your possession? The vacation photos of your girl friend? The propriety company data on your laptop? That spreadsheet where you track all your investments? The mailing list for your church?

Of course not.

Should Border agents have access to the Internet porn you downloaded? The kiddie porn you have? How about the email addresses of your terrorist cell members? Maybe the plans for the next bomb attack you are planning?

My answer is, "no" unless they have probable cause. If you think the answer is "yes" then you are willing to forfeit one of our fundamental rights, in the U.S., anyway.

Wired, in Laptop searches at border might get restricted, describes one traveler's experience:

Border agents have scrutinized family pictures on Shommo's digital camera, examined Koranic verses and other audio files on his iPod and even looked up Google keyword searches he had typed into his company laptop.

The DHS, it would seem, is focused on preventing terrorism at any cost. I think there are costs that are too high. Others agree and there are several bills pending in Congress that put some restrictions on these searches. One measure is sponsored by Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wisconson, another by Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y.

There are important issues here, and we really need to get this right. Once a fundamental right is given up, it's very difficult to get it back.

Eyes on India

2008-12-05T07:55:00.002-05:00

Intelligence reports out of India are reporting the possibility of terrorists targeting the Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai airports between December 4 and 7:

Based on intelligence reports, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) issued a terror alert on Wednesday night, saying: "There could be a terror attack between December 4 to 7, around the Babri Masjid demolition anniversary, at Chennai, Bangalore or Delhi airport. It could be in the form of a hijack attempt or explosives concealed in personal gear like coat etc."

Additional security teams have been deployed and travelers should expect long lines

The Babri Masjid was a mosque standing on ground claimed by both the Hindus and the Muslims. It has been the source of considerable political acrimony.

See: Now, Indian skies in terror crosshairs

Global Entry program applications

2008-11-28T09:07:00.004-05:00

As Stewart Verdery comments in Build It and They Will Come at the Adfero Group Security Debrief blog, "...bringing in one traveler at a time to the [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] offices in the basement of airports is not a way to grow the [Global Entry] program quickly."

According to Customs and Border Protection (CBP):

Global Entry... allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers expedited clearance upon arrival into the United States... The process will require participants to present their machine-readable U.S. passport or permanent residency card, submit their fingerprints for biometric verification, and make a customs declaration at the kiosk’s touch-screen. Upon successful completion of the Global Entry process at the kiosk, the traveler will be issued a transaction receipt and directed to baggage claim and the exit, unless chosen for a selective or random secondary referral.

To expand the number of Global Entry Program participants, CBP is starting to reach out and go where the travelers are, the first example of which was at a recent National Business Travel Association committee meeting. You still have to fill out an online form in advance, but they are trying to make the process more convenient.

Currently, Global Entry is available at seven airports, with 20 planned by the end of 2009.

Clear registered traveler card gift discount

2008-11-26T06:01:00.002-05:00

Verified Identity Pass is offering a holiday special: a $25 discount on a one-year Clear Card membership. Your can give your favorite frequent flier a Registered Traveler Program card through:

http://www.flyclear.com/apply/apply_give.html

Use the Discount Code: HOLIDAY25

Barcodes on boarding passes

2008-11-18T06:53:00.004-05:00

Remember that journalist who printed a fake boarding pass on his home computer and effectively defeated airport security? Chertoff tells Wired Magazine the TSA is piloting a fix that would prevent someone on the Do Not Fly list from pulling the same stunt.

The key is a 2-D encrypted and digitally signed bar code that contains the boarding pass information.

In the pilot, passengers show the bar code to TSA identity checkers, who use a scanner to read the image off the passenger’s smartphone, and then check the person’s identification against the decrypted information.

This seems like an excellent application of public key encryption technology. Wired reports that, "all major airlines are required to adopt the bar codes for printed boarding passes by 2010..."

Passport identity theft

2008-11-11T06:06:00.003-05:00

We've heard about the possibility that the information on your RFID-enabled passport could be "skimmed" by someone with the right equipment. Now comes word from WSFA News in Criminals use a new method to steal your identity that we have an example "in the wild."

This was a case of information theft from a smart credit card, not a passport, but the principle applies.

"I was riding the bus, actually I was about to get onto a bus and about to take my seat and a young fellow bumped into me."

That little bump didn't seem like a big deal at the time. But it was, his information was zapped by the stranger and within hours the thief went on a major shopping spree.

I'm not sure the article is 100% factually correct. The statement, "...[the] RFID chip that's embedded in your credit card, your passport, or your luggage tag is broadcasting your personal information constantly" applies to active RFID chips, not the more common passive chips.

Travel security news

2008-11-08T06:47:00.005-05:00

Some recent news items:

Israeli experts offer security tips for LAX

Two years ago, Israeli security experts visited Los Angeles International Airport to assess the security processes at the Airport. Their findings were not released to the public, but Israeli security methods are known to be more behavioral-based than what had been common in the US. Now the experts have returned and see "significant progress."

Over the last two years, airport officials have strengthened LAX's perimeter fence, installed giant concrete flower pots in front of several terminals and placed a series of barricades at "strategic locations." Additionally, airport police officers have bulked up their presence and increased the frequency of vehicle searches.

TSA Unveils Security Checkpoints at the New Indianapolis International Airport

Recent upgrades to security screening at Indianapolis include the full body scanning X-Ray machines (millimeter wave) and multi-view X-Ray machines for carry-on luggage.

Multi-view X-ray systems provide a significant increase in detail and sophistication from current, single-view X-ray and can be upgraded so the machines evolve as threats evolve.

Ads join lineup at airport security

We'd previously heard about the idea of advertising in the bottom of those plastic security trays where you place your shoes and other items. It looks like it's going to happen:

The Transportation Security Administration has given final approval to a fledgling program that allows airports to sell advertising on the plastic bins passengers use to send their jackets, belts, keys, cell phones and laptops through the X-ray machines.

The TSA gets something out of this: advertisers must purchase bins and associated equipment. The participating airport gets a cut too.

Over on Twitter some clever ad campaigns have been suggested, mostly centering around Dr. Scholl's inserts and podiatry services. Add your "great idea" by posting a comment here.

Make Travel Safe and Secure

2008-10-28T21:49:00.002-04:00

These are days of heightened security; although airport security personnel on the lookout for terrorists and hijackers and don’t mean to harass innocent passengers, there have been times when people who are far removed from terror have fallen victim to the plots hatched by others who are not. To avoid making your trip a nightmare and becoming the tool that terrorists use to carry out their attacks, you need to be aware of all that you’re supposed to do and not supposed to do when you travel by air or cross borders into other countries.

• Get to the airport well in advance. Enhanced security measures translate into long waiting times and longer screening queues. If you’re traveling with elderly persons, children or those who are ill, accommodate for unexpected delays and make sure you get there with some extra time to spare.

• Carry the minimum amount of luggage; you know you’re allowed only one carry on bag and a personal item like a handbag, notebook computer or other gadget. All other bags must be checked. Do not lock your checked bags in case authorities need to open them immediately for security reasons. If you feel you need to lock checked bags, you can use one of the widely available TSA locks. TSA locks are little padlocks that accept a special key that only the TSA is supposed to have, so if they feel they need to get into your bag, they can and then relock it. Make sure all your bags (even the ones that you carry on) have your name and address written inside them so that you can be reached with the minimum delay in case your bags are lost or you need to be questioned. Do not stuff your bags to the limit – in case they are opened and searched by the security personnel, you may have a tough time getting everything back inside and zipped neatly.

• Take public transport to the airport or get a friend or family member to drop you since parking is likely to be limited and controlled.

• Remember to answer any questions you may be asked politely and honestly. The authorities are only doing their job, and the sooner you get through the inquisition, the more relaxed you can be. Don’t talk about bombs or hijackings, even in a jovial way. The security personnel are short on a sense of humor when it comes to doing their job.

• Wear the minimum amount of jewelry and metallic objects and remove them before you go through the metal detector.

• Make sure that your luggage is yours alone and that strangers have not palmed off their suitcases or bags on you. Do not accept requests to carry luggage for other people and to check them as your own, even if you hardly have any of your own. You may think you’re being kind to a stranger, but you could end up jeopardizing your own peace of mind.

• Keep a close eye on your children and family members to avoid getting separated, especially in the event of an emergency when a stampede is likely to take place.

Travel need not necessarily be a stressful experience, not if you plan ahead and use a little common sense in the process of getting to your destination.

This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of what can I do with a masters in criminal justice. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com.

New watch list process announced

2008-10-23T20:11:00.002-04:00

In an effort to ease some of the misidentification problems with the “no fly list,” the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced the “Secure Flight Final Rule.” Under this plan, the TSA will takes over responsibility for pre-departure watch list matching. Currently, the airlines match passenger names against a list they have.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff:

"Secure Flight is a critical tool that will further improve aviation security and fix the major customer service issue of watch list misidentifications, a frustratingly common occurrence for travelers under the existing airline-based system"

Here’s what’s supposed to happen:

Airlines will be required under Secure Flight to collect a passenger's full name, date of birth, and gender when making an airline reservation. This additional information is expected to prevent most inconveniences at the airport, and will be particularly important for those individuals with names similar to those on the watch list.

The information is to be transmitted to the TSA for matching against watch lists, then the TSA will transmit the results back to the airline. According th the DHS, “Data retention for the vast majority of individuals will be no more than seven days.”

Secure Flight implementation comes in two phases:

(1) In early 2009, watch list matching by the TSA starts for U.S. domestic passengers.

(2) Late in 2009, watch list matching transfers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the international air carriers to the TSA.

The TSA expects these changes will result in fewer passengers being misidentified. Secure Flight also implements one of the 9/11 Commission recommendations to “…utilize the larger set of watch lists maintained by the Federal Government."

The Air Transport Association (ATA) is supportive of the concept…

We welcome today’s announcement by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and TSA Administrator Kip Hawley regarding the Secure Flight Final Rule. Based on many months of work by the administration and the airline industry in moving Secure Flight to this point, we soon should be in a position to begin actual implementation,” said ATA President and CEO James C. May. “While we expect there will be details in the rule that need attention and clarification once the Final Rule is published and available for review, the airline industry is committed to working through this process as efficiently and cooperatively as possible. The common goals that we all share continue to be greater levels of seamless security combined with greater customer convenience.”

…But certainly there are many systems issues involved in creating processes for the collection of passenger data, transmitting it, analyzing it, returning it to the airlines, and actually applying it to the ticketing and boarding functions.

TSA to Assume Watch List Vetting with Secure Flight Program
http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1224686539438.shtm

Secure Flight Final Rule
http://www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/secureflight_final_rule.pdf
195 pages, 10 MB

Air Transport Association Comments on Secure Flight Final Rule
http://www.airlines.org/news/releases/2008/statement_10-22-08.htm

Airline ticket scam is back

2008-10-20T11:14:00.002-04:00

Computerworld reports in Hackers renew airline-ticket scam spam that there is email out there that purports to contain an airline ticket invoice charged to your credit cards. If you open the email and the zip file it contains, and click on what appears to be ticket, you will actually load a worm that attacks your PC:

The spam, which claims to be from Continental Airlines Inc., thanks the recipient for using a new "Buy flight ticket Online" service, provides a log-in username and password, and says the recipient's credit card has been charged more than $900...

An attached .zip file... includes an invoice and "flight ticket." In fact, noted Trend Micro, the archive file contains an executable file "e-ticket.doc.exe," that is actually a Windows worm that downloads and installs other attack code to the PC.

In the first place, you should never open an email attachment from a sender you do not know well and trust, and then only if you are expecting the attachment.

This particular attack is similar to one this past July where the emails appeared to come from Delta and Northwest.

Private parts in Melbourne

2008-10-16T06:28:00.002-04:00

Melbourne Airport is starting a six-week trial of the "backscatter" X-Ray security screening machine. This is the device that displays full-body images, but without the clothes. In other locations, privacy concerns have led a modified process that includes blurring of private areas and remote location viewing.

The Herald Sun Online reports that in this particular trial, the images will not be blurred in the genital and breast areas. Acting Executive Director of the Office of Transport Security George Brenan noted:

...faces would be blurred and the screen monitors would be seated away from the passenger line and unable to compare faces to bodies.

But he said that genitals and breasts would not be blurred because it compromised the machine's detection capabilities.

Viewing will be done by same-sex employees who will not be allowed to have any cameras with them. Trials are also scheduled for the Sydney and Adelaide airports.

Smile!

Registered traveler program at Boston Logan

2008-10-16T06:16:00.003-04:00

The Verified Identity Pass Inc. "Clear" registered traveler program has begun operation at Boston's Logan International Airport in at Delta Air Lines in Terminal A.

Delta passengers wishing to enrol [sic] with Clear can start the enrolment process at http://www.flyclear.com/delta and will receive 1500 SkyMiles with membership of Clear.

Verified says it has 220,000 cardholders.

See: Clear's Fast Pass Security Program is opened at Delta Air Lines Terminal A security checkpoint

TSA proposing security for general aviation

2008-10-14T05:51:00.003-04:00

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that it has submitted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking designed to add security requirements for general aviation:

The Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) regulation would require all U.S. operators of aircraft exceeding 12,500 pounds maximum take-off weight to implement security programs that would be subject to compliance audits by TSA. The proposed regulation would also require operators to verify that passengers are not on the No Fly and/or Selectee portions of the federal government's consolidated terrorist watch list.

This "Large Program" would extend security requirements to all but the smallest aircraft, and seemingly create a program that would significantly change the environment for operators of these aircraft.

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) responds by saying they appreciate the concern, but:

GAMA will be reviewing this NPRM to ensure that it addresses potential security risks with methods of compliance that do not restrict the utility of general aviation aircraft. Measured against this standard, our initial read of the NPRM concerns us in that some very burdensome requirements may not provide commensurate security benefits to an already safe and secure industry.

According to Aviation Week, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is planning a series of town hall meetings to get member feedback on the proposed TSA rule.

Buckle in. This will be quite a ride.

Pakistani airport security change

2008-10-04T17:04:00.003-04:00

A vehicle scanning system has been proposed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for the entrance of Allama Iqbal International Airport.

...two vehicle-scanning machines were currently operational at the AIIA, but after the recent threats of terrorist attacks the CAA has decided to install two more vehicle-scanning machines at the entrance point of the airport.

These scanning machines use a line camera, a mirror, and an infrared light emitting diode lighting unit. The idea is that images can be captured of the underside of moving vehicles.

The proposal is with the Ministry of Defence awaiting final decision.

Source: Daily Times, CAA to increase security after recent bomb threats.

Containing bombs in airline luggage

2008-09-26T22:17:00.003-04:00

There is a concept where the containers that hold luggage in airliners are constructed such that suitcase bomb blasts can be contained. These 5-foot by 5-foot containers are produced by Telair International and made of Kevlar, but they weigh 265 pounds and cost $18,000 apiece. Which explains airline coolness to the idea.

A 2007 law requires the TSA to buy hardened containers for airlines to use when the TSA sees a need, said Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., who helped write the law.

But:

The Transportation Security Administration said it will not buy any containers because Congress gave it no money for them, and it will not require airlines to use them.

So if the airlines aren't interested and the TSA isn't interested, that doesn't leave much motivation for these. Nevertheless, "Telair is working on making smaller containers for narrower passenger jets."

Source: USA Today, Kevlar containers could protect jets.

Backscatter x-ray for cars

2008-09-23T21:50:00.003-04:00

The Salt Lake Tribune reports in Personal Tech: Security agency testing X-ray portal for vehicles that a North Carolina ferry terminal is testing the backscatter X-ray for a different application: vehicles.

This technology, in use at some airports, could be used to check cars at airports for explosives.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is running a test at a North Carolina ferry terminal of a 21-foot-high arch-like machine that shoots low-intensity X-rays at cars as they pass through. The photos show whether explosives or drugs might be in the car.

Screening with this setup is reported to take 30 seconds as cars drive slowly through the "arch-like portal."

Tips for traveling with children

2008-08-30T08:00:00.003-04:00

Dr. Todd Curtis operates the very good AirSafe.com site where you get the facts, not the speculation, about air safety events and issues. He also publishes the AirSafe.com Mailing List which provides updates on airline accidents, articles about airline safety, articles from guest writers from the world of aviation, and free reports and other offers from AirSafe.com.

A recent edition is reproduced below:

TOP 10 SAFETY TIPS FOR TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN

by Dr. Todd Curtis

Traveling with children, especially infants and toddlers, puts special demands on the adults responsible for their well being. Based on analyses of dozens of aviation incidents and accidents involving children and on my own experience as a traveling parent, here are ten tips that can make the trip safer for the child.

1. Plan ahead: Ask yourself what supplies you will need to have on hand to take care of any normal or special needs for the child. Remember, it is the airline's responsibility to carry passengers to their destination, but it is the responsibility of the parent or responsible adult to take care of any children.

2. Use a child restraint system for children under 40 pounds (18.1 kilos): The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration strongly recommends that children weighing less than 40 pounds be put into a child restraint system appropriate for their weight. Children under the age of two may be carried on the lap of an adult, but the lap child should have some kind of restraint system.

For small children, consider the following recommendations:

* Find a way to conveniently carry an appropriate child restraint system through airports and into and out of aircraft.

* If the child is over the age of two and less than 40 pounds (18.1 kilos), follow the FAA recommendations for using child restraint systems, which are described at http://www.airsafe.com/kidsafe/chldseat.htm.

* If the child is under two, consider buying a separate seat for the child and use an appropriate restraint system for the seat.

* If the child is under two and will be traveling on the lap of an adult, consider using an appropriate in-flight child restraint. Also, bring along an appropriate child restraint system for a seat just in case you happen to be next to an unoccupied seat.

AirSafe.com has further information about using child restraints on aircraft at http://www.airsafe.com/kidsafe/chldseat.htm.

3. Prepare for possible emergencies: Make sure you are aware of emergency equipment or procedures that would apply to your child:

* Pay attention to the standard preflight emergency briefing.

* Ask a flight attendant if that particular aircraft has emergency equipment like life preservers specifically designed for small children.

* If your child has a medical condition that may become an issue during the flight, make a flight attendant, counter agent, or gate agent aware of that possibility before the flight.

4. Take all essential items for the children in carry-on luggage: Take enough food, diapers, medicine, and other items to last through possible flight delays and lost luggage. Carrying all the child's essentials with you is especially important if your child is on a special diet or on medication. For a review of items that are not allow checked or carry on baggage, visit the Things You Should Not Bring on Board page at http://www.airsafe.com/danger.htm.

5. Keep your children under control at all times: YOU and not the flight attendant is responsible for supervising your child at all times. An unsupervised or unrestrained child could quickly wander way into dangerous areas such as galleys, especially if the responsible adult falls asleep. For example, during a very long flight from Australia to the U.S., I observed a parent traveling alone with a child fall asleep, and then saw the toddler get up and walk down the aisle. A few minutes later, an agitated flight attendant returned, child in hand, and gave the parent a minor scolding about the danger the child faced while wandering around the galley. You should also be careful when walking about the aircraft with your child so that they don't reach for cups of hot coffee, silverware, and other hazards.

6. Seat your child away from an aisle: Small children enjoy reaching out and exploring, but a child on the aisle could get hurt if his or her little arm gets bumped by a person or serving cart passing down the aisle. Ideally, two responsible adults should sit on either side of the child. Also, one can seat the child on a row with a window on one side and a responsible adult on the other.

7. If emergency oxygen masks deploy, put your mask on first: This advice may seem cruel, but there is a very practical reason for it. If the brain is starved of oxygen (hypoxia), one can get confused or pass out and be unable to help themselves or their child. By putting on their mask first, the parent or responsible adult will reduce their chance of falling victim to hypoxia.

8. Keep your child belted or in a child restraint system at all times: This is for the same reasons given in the Top 10 Air Traveler Safety Tips page at http://www.airsafe.com/ten_tips.htm. Turbulence can happen at any time and without warning, so keep your child belted in as much as possible. If the child, wants to get up and move around, let them do so only if the seat belt sign is off. The FAA has related information in a brochure at http://www.airsafe.com/kidsafe/faa_brochure.pdf.

9. Bring along safe toys: Try to avoid bringing along toys that are sharp, heavy, or that break easily. If the child has an electronic game, only allow them to use it during the cruise portion of flight. Electronic games may interfere with an aircraft's navigational system during other phases of the flight.

10. Take extra precautions for children traveling alone:

* Find out what special rules that particular airline has for children traveling alone. For general insights into common airline rules, visit the Airline Rules for Unaccompanied Children page at http://www.airsafe.com/kidsafe/kidrules.htm.

* Escort the child onto the aircraft and check the area around the seat for hazards such as heavy carry-on items in the overhead storage bins.

* Inform the chief flight attendant that the child is traveling alone.

* Ensure that the person meeting the child at the destination will have proper identification.

* Make it clear to the child that they should report any problems to a flight attendant. This could range from feeling sick to having a suspicious character seated next to them.

* If the child has to change planes, make arrangements for the child to be escorted between gates. This usually costs extra and is required for small children and is recommended for older children, especially those old enough to do it on their own but not mature enough to deal with potential problems or temptations at a busy airport.

* Review the Top 10 Tips for Children Traveling Alone at http://www.airsafe.com/kidsafe/kidsolo.htm.

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ABOUT DR. TODD CURTIS
Dr. Todd Curtis holds a PhD in aviation risk assessment from the Union Institute, as well as engineering degrees from MIT, the University of Texas, and Princeton. He is the director of the AirSafe.com Foundation and the creator of AirSafe.com. His work has been featured by numerous news organizations, and he has appeared frequently on CNN, BBC, National Public Radio, and elsewhere. He also authored the 2000 book Understanding Aviation Safety Data and the 2007 book Parenting and the Internet. Dr. Curtis is also a licensed private pilot and a member of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators.

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Copyright (c) 2008 Todd Curtis, All Rights Reserved

24 Roy St., #302, Seattle, WA 98109, USA

ACLU critical of terrorist watch lists

2008-08-23T22:06:00.003-04:00

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has come out and stated their opposition to the current terrorist watch lists.

...the [ACLU] calls on all presidential candidates, as well as current President Bush, to pledge to put a moratorium on the use of the lists unless major overhauls are made. The investigation found the current database system beleaguered with flaws and technological hurdles. Not only that, but the program being designed to replace the current database is facing similar systemic difficulties, while the contractors hired for its creation are struggling to move toward completion.

It seems the terrorist lists have over a million names, and that fact alone suggests the system is out of control. Can there really be a million terrorists out there? I doubt it. (If it were true, then I'd go so far as to suggest that they have something the rest of us need to be listening to.)

The ACLU is calling for rationalizing the watch lists to include only names where credible evidence exists. Also, implementation of a better redress process, and an overhaul of the computer databases used to house the watch lists.

“Enough is enough,” said Timothy Sparapani, ACLU Senior Legislative Counsel. “Watch list systems are worse than worthless. They create security risks by diverting scarce homeland security resources away from actual terrorists by focusing attention on hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of innocent travelers. Those innocent victims wrongly caught in the dragnet of suspicion are left without recourse to clear their good name.

Preliminary Congressional Investigation Finds Watch Lists Plagued with Systemic Flaws

Getting you face scanned at Manchester Airport

2008-08-19T18:47:00.003-04:00

The BBC reports that facial recognition scanners are being trialled at Manchester Airport. Passenger faces are scanned then compared to their photographs in biometric passports, and passenger identity is checked against security lists.

Facial recognition technology is part of the Home Office's e-Borders programme, which is aimed at transforming the UK's border control to ensure greater security and efficiency.

The system is optional at this point, and it allows passengers to be scanned at unmanned posts.

The Public and Commercial Services Union remains concerned about this technology:

This is untried, untested technology and they're going live with it before they've been able to recognise any of the difficulties there might be with the system.

People are being allowed through on the basis of this technology. It means that 95% of people won't be checked in any way, other than by the machine.

Source: BBC News, Passengers test new face scanners.

A laptop lost then found

2008-08-06T20:14:00.003-04:00

The TSA reported that they suspended Verified Identity Pass from enrolling new applicants in the Registered Traveler program. This after the loss of a laptop computer at San Francisco International Airport containing the personal data of approximately 33,000 customers. This data included name, address, phone numbers, birth date, drivers' license, greencard, and passport information.

VIP operates RT programs under the brand name Clear.

TSA has instructed SFO to ensure that VIP immediately notifies the individuals impacted. In addition, SFO and all other airports using Clear® have been instructed to ensure that VIP: suspends enrollment, ceases use of any unencrypted computers and secures the devices until encryption can be installed. TSA requires RT service providers and sponsoring entities to encrypt all files containing participants' sensitive personal information. Noncompliance with such requirements can result in actions including suspension of a program and possible civil penalties.

Then, on August 5, the laptop computer was found at the same office (!) where it was reported missing on July 26. But Clear is not out in the clear. According to ChannelWeb,

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that the Transportation Security Administration is continuing to suspend a San Francisco airport fast pass program, called Clear, from enrolling new members for failure to meet security compliance standards. The suspension will remain in effect until the program updates its security protocol regarding customer data.

Leaving this kind of data unprotected is pretty bad, although a number of others have found themselves in the press for the same reason. But not being able to find the computer in the office sounds, well, incompetent.

Maybe we'll hear a good explanation.

Update: The TSA blog Evolution of Security has a post today titled Encryption Is the Issue In Case of Missing Laptop which provides more information about why Clear is suspended:

Every commercial airport is required to have an approved airport security plan. So Registered Traveler is part of that comprehensive plan at the airports where it operates. Under the airport security plan, the sponsoring entity, (SFO in this case) is required to assure its vendors have an approved information security program. Because the computer at SFO was not encrypted it is in violation of the airport’s security plan.

That explains the TSA position. I'd still like to understand the circumstances surrounding the "lost" then "found" laptop.

Terrorism and Transportation Conference

2008-08-04T21:34:00.002-04:00

...over 700 law enforcement personnel, intelligence professionals, and private sector officials attended the Terrorism and Transportation Conference convened in New York, NY, hosted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). This four-day conference was held to bring together terrorism first responders, private industry representatives, and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) experts. The event was the largest-ever sponsored by the FBI and TSA to jointly address terrorism and transportation.

Conference participants heard a message of coordination among agencies "to the fullest extent possible." TSA Administrator Kip Hawley called counter terrorism a team "activity."

Source: TSA, FBI and TSA Conclude Major Terrorism and Transportation Conference in New York.

TSA allows Register Traveler program to expand

2008-07-26T22:12:00.002-04:00

The TSA is allowing the Registered Traveler program to expand beyond the 19 airports where it is currently operating.

The private sector working with the airports and airline passengers can best determine the RT business structure and the initiative needs very limited government involvement going forward. During the pilot, which concludes upon publication of a federal register notice early next week, all RT members were screened according to standard TSA procedures and this practice will continue.

In addition, "the government is eliminating the $28 fee," according to the TSA.

TSA Press Release, TSA Lifts Cap and Eliminates Fee on Registered Traveler.

Keeping your data from getting hacked

2008-07-20T19:21:00.003-04:00

CNET has an interesting report from the recent Last HOPE hacker conference that gives you a taste for the vulnerabilities of your data: RFID passports, smart credit cards, Bluetooth electronic devices, and WiFi on your computer.

By now most people probably know they should be careful using Wi-Fi networks, especially public hotspots that don't encrypt data transmissions and where network access points can be spoofed. These issues leave Web surfers at risk of having their data stolen, receiving fake Web pages and other information, and having their computers completely taken over...

Even airplane passengers who either ignore stewardess requests to disable Wi-Fi or don't know how to turn it off are not immune to attacks from others in the airplane...

You really ought to disable Bluetooth and WiFi when you are not using them, and protect your RFID-enabled passports and credit cards if you are concerned about personal data theft. Watch the video in Protecting against Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RFID data attacks to see just how easy it is to hack these with inexpensive and commonly available tools. It just might open your eyes.

Shanghai airport security

2008-07-19T10:37:00.002-04:00

Security continues to ramp up in advance of the Beijing Summer Olympics. Effective tomorrow, security checks increase at 18 cities and regions around China, including Beijing.

Luggage and bags of both visitors and passengers will be checked at entrances to the terminal buildings, and travelers will still have to undergo normal check-in security procedures.

The Shanghai Airport Authority said the checks would focus on the detection of any explosive, flammable, biochemical or radioactive material. Also, there will be a security check before passengers board flights.

Source: China View, Shanghai airports beef up security, on the double.

FLO extends it's reach

2008-07-15T21:18:00.002-04:00

Registered Traveler enrollment provider FLO Corp. has entered into a business arrangement with meetings management company Universal Meeting Management Inc. of Raleigh, North Carolina. This after FLO announced in June a distribution agreement with Advantage Performance Network.

The agreements with Advantage and Universal give FLO the opportunity to market its RT product and even enroll new customers at corporate events managed by Advantage... Advantage CEO Mary Sue Leathers [announced] “It’s a real benefit to be able to offer a customized RT enrollment process while a group of colleagues are together at a corporate event.”

These meetings give FLO an opportunity to market their system to an audience of target customers - business travelers.

Source: Corporate Meetings & Incentives, Registered Traveler Company Courts Meetings Market.

New security checks at Chinese airports

2008-07-08T22:21:00.002-04:00

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) says that starting July 20, 2008, air passengers will go through a new, additional security check at 20 airports in China.

These airports are at the six Olympic hosting cities, their alternative airports, and all the airports in the Xinjiang Uygur and the Tibet autonomous regions.

The special measure is aimed at raising the security level at the airports and preventing anyone from carrying explosives, inflammables or other materials that can be used to disrupt the Beijing Olympic Games, the CAAC said.

Suspects will have to go through thorough security checks, and people caught carrying such materials will be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law.

The CAAC advises travelers to arrive extra early at the impacted airports.

China Daily, Fliers face extra security checks for Olympics.

Airport security for Beijing Olympics

2008-07-05T20:53:00.006-04:00

The Chinese continue to make security preparations for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. RedOrbit reports in China: Guangzhou Baiyun Airport Conducts Drill to Ensure Olympic Security that an Antiterrorism Drill was recently conducted:

The antiterrorism drill simulated a terrorist incident in which "terrorists" carried weapons and explosives and attacked a controlled area in the outfield of Baiyun Airport. The airport authorities promptly launched its emergency response programme and arrested the "terrorists" by means of effective measures, such as information assessment, blockade, and assault. At the same time, the authorities also rescued "injured personnel," carried out a thorough security inspection of the airport's controlled area, and detonated the explosives of the "terrorists."

The drill tested the security of the airport in support of the Olympic games, but also accumulated experience for the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.

GA terrorist attacks in the UK?

2008-06-24T21:23:00.002-04:00

It seems some of the Brits are a little concerned about the possibility of terrorist attacks delivered by General Aviation aircraft.

The Telegraph reports:

Lord Carlile of Berriew QC, the Government's anti-terror adviser, warned in his annual report that senior police officers had raised the spectre of light aircraft being use as "vehicle bombs against places of public aggregation."

Because the 500 British GA airfields lack the controls of larger airports, the fear is terrorists will deliver explosive payloads with small planes.

The warning prompted fears that Britain has been left open to a terrorist outrage similar to the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington.

The problem with this is that small airplanes have very small payload capacity. Airliners have very large capacity, but beyond that, well, they're large themselves. The planes used in the September 11 attacks didn't carry bombs, they were the bombs. GA aircraft are too small to be bombs themselves, and don't have the capacity to carry an explosive load that will cause major damage.

If you want to bring down a sky scraper or take out a football stadium, a Cessna is not going to cut it.

New terminal, designed for security

2008-06-19T22:23:00.002-04:00

Raleigh-Durham International Airport is set to open it's new Terminal 2 in the Fall of 2008. Like most all new airport construction these days, there is more than a little focus on airport security.

An automated, in-line baggage screening system incorporates explosive detection system machines (EDS) into the airport’s baggage conveyor system. The EDS machines screen luggage as it is transported from airline check-in to departing aircraft. The system allows for the processing of up to 1,600 pieces of luggage per hour, says the airport.

The new terminal will feature seven security checkpoint lanes.

See, RDU Airport Terminal To Open In Fall.

Clear partners with Delta

2008-06-17T22:35:00.003-04:00

Clear, operated by Verified Identity Pass, Inc., announced a partnership with Delta Air Lines that includes the operation of fast lanes in Delta terminals at New York’s JFK and LaGuardia airports, and Los Angeles International, starting this summer.

The Clear-Delta Air Lines partnership will include a significant presence for Clear in Delta’s terminals, online at delta.com and through a direct marketing campaign to its SkyMiles® members. All Delta SkyMiles members will be offered bonus miles when they join Clear.

Clear says they've recently processed one million members through their fast pass lanes.

Clear members are pre-screened by the Transportation Security Administration and after application approval, which involves providing iris and fingerprint images, receive a card that allows access to Clear’s designated security lanes nationwide. Clear lanes, which feature concierges whose assistance speeds throughput while making the experience far more pleasant, are already operating in airports in Cincinnati, Denver, Indianapolis, Orlando, San Francisco, and Washington DC’s Reagan National and Dulles airports, among others. The annual fee is $100 plus a $28 TSA fee.

See: Clear Partners with Delta to Operate Fast Pass Lanes in Delta’s Terminals in New York and Los Angeles.

Laptop checks at Jakarta airport

2008-06-07T19:32:00.002-04:00

Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta international airport has begun stricter security checks of passenger laptops. The airport administrator mentioned concerns about illegal documents and smuggling heroin.

See Antara News, Passengers' laptops now subject to security checks at Soekarno-Hatta airport.

TSA in the news

2008-06-06T22:35:00.003-04:00

The TSA now has Behavior Detection Officers (BDO) at about 40 major U.S. airports.

TSA's BDO-trained security officers are screening travelers for involuntary physical and physiological reactions that people exhibit in response to a fear of being discovered.

In order to help provide safe air travel to and from the Beijing Olympics, Chinese and American air marshal officials have worked out agreements to allow marshals from each country to travel to the other.

This... culminated in the summer of 2007 when U.S. Federal Air Marshals hosted a training exchange with members of the Chinese Air Marshal Program at [the] facility in Atlantic City.

During this training, techniques and philosophies like aircraft tactics, use-of-force applications, defensive measures, investigative techniques and tactical information sharing were exchanged, enhancing abilities and preparedness in both the U.S. and China. This dual training increases the security of aircraft on both sides of the Pacific and is just one example of the collaborative nature of this dedicated group of law enforcement professionals.

To find the 21 airports with the "Black Diamond" self-select checkpoint lanes, see Black Diamond Self Select Lanes.

The self-select lanes are modeled after familiar ski icons that guide travelers to choose the appropriate trail/lane based on their skill level. Green designates the queue for families or beginners, blue is for casual travelers at the intermediate level, and black diamond is reserved for expert travelers who know the TSA rules and arrive at the checkpoint ready to go through efficiently.

Starting June 21, 2008, passengers who refuse to provide any identification will be denied access to the secure area of airports.

This new procedure will not affect passengers that may have misplaced, lost or otherwise do not have ID but are cooperative with officers. Cooperative passengers without ID may be subjected to additional screening protocols, including enhanced physical screening, enhanced carry-on and/or checked baggage screening, interviews with behavior detection or law enforcement officers and other measures.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff

2008-06-04T22:10:00.005-04:00

Recently Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff spoke to the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars about the Visa Waiver Program. In that presentation, Chertoff said:

...the focus of our security efforts for travelers who want to come to the United States is not simply to look at countries or groups. It is rather to focus on individuals. It is individual behavior, individual biography, individual biometrics and individual travel history that is the fairest and also the most efficient way to identify those who may pose a threat to the United States if they’re permitted to enter.

This is accomplished in three ways:

First, secure identification and reliable identification. We want to know that the person who presents themselves at the border is in fact who they say they are so we can verify whether they are on a watch list of whether we know them in some form or fashion to be a terrorist or a criminal.

Second, we need a little bit of biographical information. If we know something about the way a person has purchased their ticket or what their contact numbers are, we can find linkages that may not be evident simply by knowing their name.

And finally, of course, biometrics. Fingerprints allow us not only to search records more efficiently than simply using a name base system, but they allow us to match the fingerprint of the traveler against latent fingerprints that we pick up in battlefields or safe houses or training camps all over the world.

For the full text see, Remarks by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on the Electronic System for Travel Authorization.

Tips for travel

2008-05-26T21:28:00.003-04:00

A useful (and entertaining) list of travel tips appeared recently at community newspaper Canyon News. In Top 10 Tips for Modern Day Travel, former Hollywood producer and now travel professional, Susan Michelle provides sound advice and supporting links to items relating to travel security, comfort, and enjoyment.

Tips include identity theft prevention with an RFID wallet, theft protection through products that hide your valuables, and socks that prevent embarrassment at security. One tip for Americans concerned about being a target overseas: "...stick a Canadian flag on your bag and scale back the American attitude when abroad."

It's a great list and the links are make it more so.

TSA reminds travelers of security process

2008-05-25T22:00:00.003-04:00

In TSA Reminds Summer Travelers of the Three Simple Steps to Security, the TSA puts on one webpage a summary of the steps people can take to make the security checkpoint process smoother.

Tips are associated with these three areas of the process:

1. Show ID and boarding pass
2. Take out liquids (in a baggie) and laptops
3. Take off shoes and jackets

With respect to the first step, showing your ID and boarding pass, the TSA notes:

Beginning May 26, TSA will use a standardized list of acceptable identification for airline travel. Passengers who present a federal- or state-issued photo ID containing name, date of birth, gender, expiration date and a tamper-resistant feature that is free from evidence of tampering can expect to be expedited through the travel document checking process.

More details about acceptable IDs can be found at Driver's License or Passports Preferred ID at Checkpoints. Other tips include the 3-1-1 liquids rule and easily removable footwear.

Explosives screening for the Beijing Olympics

2008-05-25T21:18:00.003-04:00

Reveal Imaging Technologies, developer of Explosives Detection Systems (EDS) for airports, announced that it has been awarded contracts with the Beijing Capital International Airport Authority and Chinese government Agency for CT-80 automated explosives detection systems (EDS) to be used for Olympic security.

Michael Ellenbogen, President and CEO of Reveal Imaging Technologies, said, “The Chinese government is looking for the best security solutions as they prepare for the upcoming Olympic Games. We are pleased that they’ve selected the CT-80 and that Reveal can support the Olympics and other security events in China. Our CT-80, the first-dual energy EDS in China, provides the Olympics the highest level of explosives detection with a system that’s been certified and proven by the TSA in U.S. airports.”

Getting your laptop data through security

2008-05-15T21:43:00.003-04:00

Security technologist Bruce Schneier notes in the Guardian that border agents in the U.S., Britain, and other places can search your electronic device (laptop, mobile phone, etc.) upon demand. In the U.S. they can keep the device for an extended period to examine the contents. If you encrypt the disk, they'll just ask you to type in the password. Refuse and you'll regret the time you spend getting to know the agents real well.

So what to do with your sensitive data?

One suggestion is to encrypt just a small portion of the hard drive with the data. Leave the rest encrypted or not, but the little bit would likely remain undetected, at least at first look.

While customs agents might poke around on your laptop, they're unlikely to find the encrypted partition. (You can make the icon invisible, for some added protection.) And if they download the contents of your hard drive to examine later, you won't care.

That's not a perfect solution, and an alternative is to put the sensitive data on a small memory card which you can carry on your person. In the end, however, you'll still be at risk unless you have nothing to be discovered.

...your best defence is to clean up your laptop. A customs agent can't read what you don't have... Delete everything you don't absolutely need. And use a secure file erasure program to do it. While you're at it, delete your browser's cookies, cache and browsing history... Some companies now give their employees forensically clean laptops for travel, and have them download any sensitive data over a virtual private network once they've entered the country...

The Guardian article has more detail, and you can also look into the Schneier on Security blog and his Crypto-Gram monthly newsletter. Schneider is a sharp guy and a true security expert.

New aviation security enhancements

2008-05-01T21:55:00.003-04:00

The TSA announced improvements designed to ease some of the burden experienced by travelers.

Among the key improvements, DHS is providing airlines more flexibility to allow passengers to check in remotely who have been unable to do so because they have a name similar to someone on a watch list.

Each airline will now be able to create a system to verify and securely store a passenger's date of birth to clear up watch list misidentifications. By voluntarily providing this limited biographical data to an airline and verifying that information once at the ticket counter, travelers that were previously inconvenienced on every trip will now be able to check-in online or at remote kiosks.

Also new is the Checkpoint Evolution prototype which starts at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI).

The BWI prototype includes Millimeter Wave technology used in random continuous use, multi-view X-ray and liquid bottle scanners. These technologies, in conjunction with changes to the checkpoint environment and processes, will be evaluated for operational efficiency over the coming months.

Facial recognition technology in Britian

2008-04-26T20:26:00.003-04:00

The Age reports in About-face for whiz-bang airport security system that air travellers to Britain "will soon be screened with automatic facial recognition technology in a bid to tighten security and ease congestion."

Holders of passports with embedded biometric chips will pass through automated gates that compare the data from the chip with facial scans.

There are concerns that passengers will react badly to being rejected by an automated gate. To ensure that no one on a police watch list is incorrectly let through the gates, the technology is likely to generate a small number of "false negatives". Those rejected may be redirected into passport queues staffed by control officers, or officers may be authorised to override automatic gates following additional checks.

This process will be available on a pilot basis to British and EU citizens with biometric passports.

New carry-on restrictions for China

2008-04-25T22:48:00.002-04:00

According to Reuters, starting May 1, 2008 China will restrict air passengers on domestic flights (except first class) to one piece of carry-on baggage. This restriction, in advance of the Olympics, was instituted "to guarantee aviation security." I guess first class passengers are less of a threat...

See Reuters, China restricts flight cabin baggage for security

Terrorists are watching the security system

2008-04-21T21:50:00.003-04:00

Kip Hawley of the TSA told CBS News that terrorists are actively studying the U.S. aviation security system.

"They are building attack plans to get around our systems," Hawley told reporters. "We must be able to stop attacks that are designed to get around what we have in place."

In response, the TSA is training it's employees not only the basics of security, but also behavioral observation.

Specially trained TSA officers watch for "data points" to identify suspicious persons. Hawley says that behavior of a suspect with hostile intent is different from that of a stressed-out traveler.

See CBS News, Terror Trial Reveals Evolving Tactics, Transportation Chief Warns Of New Airline Sabotage Attempts

The anti-hijacking safety bracelet

2008-04-20T11:34:00.004-04:00

Digital Journal, in Upcoming Airline Security Project: The Anti-Hijacking Safety Bracelet, explains the work being done to create a bracelet for air travelers that can be utilized to administer a high-voltage, low power charge of electricity like the tasers used by police.

The idea is everybody gets an electronic bracelet at check-in. Then, if you act like a terrorist and need to be subdued, ZAP!, you're down on the floor.

Lamperd FTS ("Firearm Training Systems") is developing the technology. Their website says:

"Todays Security has many layers, should those layers fail there is one last line of defense- the EMD Safety Bracelet, patent #6,933,851. Lamperd Less Lethal has entered into a manufacturing agreement to develop and manufacture this product for world wide distribution using our current technology and expert knowledge in this field. Pending funding by a third party, we invite Investors to help develop this new technology; we anticipate tremendous interest and demand..."

Lamperd has created a video to explain how their system offers a last line of defense against terrorists. (Some people have difficulty viewing replays of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, so you should know that this video contain such footage.)

If you're concerned about your RFID-enabled passport getting hacked, imagine how you'll feel about this taser system getting hacked!

I'm not convinced the public will accept this technology. Would you?

Profiling parity in Israel

2008-04-09T22:39:00.002-04:00

In an update to my previous post, Profiling Arabs:

Attorney General Menachem Mazuz recently instructed the Israel Airports Authority "to implement visible equality" between Arabs and Jews in security checks at Ben-Gurion Airport.

Discriminatory treatment of Israeli Arabs had been alleged by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and the Adalah Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel.

Mazuz's guidelines specify equal treatment in the examination of passengers' checked and carry-on baggage as well as the markings made on the baggage. For checked baggage, the current policy will remain in effect: The bags are machine-screened in front of the passenger. If the machine issues a security flag, the bags are opened and examined further, also in front of the passenger.

With regard to carry-on baggage, the current policy of directing members of various communities to different screening machines will have to be changed to conform with the new directives.

See Mazuz moves to limit racial profiling at Ben-Gurion Airport in Haaretz.com.

Spotting terrorists by their behavior

2008-04-05T09:41:00.003-04:00

The AP has a good summery of the current state of the TSA behavior detection program called SPOT, for Screening Passengers by Observation Techniques.

In the last four years, 104,000 passengers were pulled out of security lines for extra scrutiny. Law enforcement was called in for 9,300 of those passengers, and 700 were actually arrested.

There haven't been any terrorists caught through SPOT, at least not that the TSA is admitting to. Instead, the process is mostly turning up fake ID's, but also some drugs, contraband currency, immigration violations, and open arrest warrants.

See:

AP, TSA Deploys Airport Behavior Screeners.

Travel Security, Screening Passengers by Observation Technique, September 03, 2006.

Calgary Herald, Pilots want "screening passengers by observation" in Canada.

How to avoid looking like a Muslim

2008-04-04T22:10:00.002-04:00

Short answer: use porn.

With behavioral-based screening (or profiling) growing as an effective security technique, an obvious countermeasure is to act like something you are not. Socipal reports that those would-be airplane bombers who are the reason behind current restrictions on carry-on liquids tried to act un-Muslim-like to throw off the security team.

...the masterminds of the potential bombings had planned to use pornography magazines as a way of distracting airport security from their clear Muslim faith. ...[They] had planned to plant the magazine[s] along with condoms as a way of hiding their Muslim faith in a bid to reduce suspicion on their activities.

In the end, it didn't work.

Porn magazines used to distract airport security from bombs.

TSA checkpoint changes coming

2008-03-31T22:01:00.003-04:00

The TSA says some checkpoint changes are coming this spring, and they've got a vision for the checkpoint of the future that hinges on three elements: people, process, and technology.

People: "Adaptive terrorists" need to be seen in light of their behavior, not the objects they happen to carry.

Process: A better checkpoint process means more information for passengers about what to do and what's going on, and more emphasis on smoothing the flow of events.

Technology: This includes implementation of multi-view x-ray for carry-on bags and whole body imaging for passengers.

See the TSA's "Checkpoint Evolution micro-site" where they encourage you to provide feedback and contribute to partner "with TSA in keeping travel safe." You'll also find a checkpoint diagram and videos that detail the security checkpoint changes to come.

The TSA on the MacBook Air

2008-03-29T12:14:00.002-04:00

The new ultra-thin Apple MacBook Air laptop computer has confused some airport security screeners, and delayed air travelers at the security checkpoint. It doesn't present the same profile under the X-Ray as other laptops, and different means suspicious. Well, Bob from the TSA's Evolution of Security blog reports that they've taken the device into the lab and they'll be including it's image in the screener training.

All the publicity surrounding this probably did nothing to hurt MacBook Air sales! Buy yours from Amazon.com, or your local Apple store!

Body piercings and airport security

2008-03-29T11:43:00.003-04:00

It's all over the news, in part because any headline on the matter is certain to draw a lot of readers: A female passenger in Lubbock, Texas was forced by the TSA to remove her nipple rings at the security point. With a pair of pliers. See:

Woman Claims Airport Security Forced Her To Remove Nipple Ring With Pliers

Woman demands apology after airport security forced her to remove nipple rings

Woman Claims TSA Forced Removal of Nipple Piercings at Airport

I have an opinion about metal in/on the body and airport security: If you have it, remove it. I mean, it just stands to reason. Why make a difficult task harder if you can simply avoid the problem by removing the item that will trip the X-Ray?

Now, I'm not a body piercing expert, but I thought these things were easily removable. So why the pliers? The KCBD article states she "had to use pliers to remove one of the rings because of scar tissue that had grown around it." Allowing that to happen doesn't sound very smart. Also, on February 24, she "had been stopped at a security checkpoint at Preston Smith International Airport, before a flight to Dallas..." So this wasn't the first time.

The TSA, in it's March 28, 2008 Statement on Alleged Improper Screening at Lubbock, Texas says that existing TSA procedures were properly followed, but has agreed to change them:

TSA has reviewed the procedures themselves and agrees that they need to be changed. In the future TSA will inform passengers that they have the option to resolve the alarm through a visual inspection of the article in lieu of removing the item in question. TSA acknowledges that our procedures caused difficulty for the passenger involved and regrets the situation in which she found herself. We appreciate her raising awareness on this issue and we are changing the procedures to ensure that this does not happen again.

So I guess it's now "take off your rings" or "show me your rings." If I had them, I'd take them off before I got to the airport.

Pencil beam X-Ray technology

2008-03-23T22:17:00.002-04:00

X-Ray screening of luggage is not always effective at identifying specific materials that may be dangerous. Cheese, toothpaste, and even salt can look like explosives in an X-Ray. Such "false positives" lead to time consuming inspections that slow down the security process.

To the rescue comes the pencil beam X-Ray, or so claims the small Israeli company Xurity, run by the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa. When used in conjunction with existing scanning equipment, the pencil beam indicates the unique "fingerprint" of the material, and allows the material to be positively identified.

This technology is in the prototype demonstration stage . Commercial application is said to be a year or two away.

For more background, see:

ISRAEL21c, Israeli pencil beam X-ray could make flying safer.

Israel High-Tech & Investment Report, Firm to detect bulk explosives, February 2008.

Technion Seed, Technion Seed investing in Xurity, December 7, 2007.

Contact Xurity Ltd at:

MATAM Advanced Technology Center, Bldg. 30
P.O.Box: 15054
Haifa
ISRAEL, 31905
Telephone: 04-8546653
Fax: 04-8546644
Email: mail@xurity.com

Priva Technologies, Inc. Approved for TSA Registered Traveler Program

2008-03-21T21:28:00.002-04:00

According to the president of Priva Technologies, Inc., the Transportation Security Administration has approved Priva as a service provider for its Registered Traveler program.

"Our Cleared(R) Security Platform was designed to be the most powerful and efficient credentialing and authentication technology available today, making it ideal for airport security screening"

This platform employs the ClearedChip™ security processor, which they claim to be:

...the world's first commercially available biometrically-enabled microchip to have achieved the government's FIPS140-2 Level 3 certification(1). A distinctive feature of the chip is its ability to protect the mechanisms that govern information processing on the chip, to identify and capture intrusion and to protect the privacy of users' credentials and their biometric data.

The Priva website notes:

The platform provides multi-factor authentication with certainty for applications, individuals, systems, and networks requiring stringent access control. Unlike other authentication solutions, such as passwords, time-based smart cards and tokens, the Cleared Security Platform provides the highest levels of intrusion protection available in one unified, auditable, end-to-end system that eliminates significant barriers to adoption.

No word yet on the deployment timetable for this technology.

Profiling Arabs

2008-03-21T21:02:00.003-04:00

There is a short AP report circulating that an Israeli civil rights group is charging that Arabs are being profiled at airport security. They claim Arabs are singled out for extra checks at Israeli airports, and that constitutes racism. Government lawyers are refusing to disclose security practices in open court.

Um, duh.

Source: Israel's airport security questioned.

I just found a report in gulfnews.com with more detailed background: Arab civil rights group challenges Israel's airport security practices. It essentially recognizes that profiling has been a long-standing practice by Israeli security forces:

Israeli Jews and Arabs get dramatically different treatment when boarding Israeli planes, as anyone who has ever stood in line at Israel's Ben-Gurion International Airport has seen.

And the results speak for themselves.

...there hasn't been a successful attack on an Israeli airliner in decades, and experts point to Israel's security procedures as a key factor.

TSA gangsta rap

2008-03-15T22:08:00.000-04:00

It's a little rude, but it's very funny:

EU eyes aviation security

2008-03-15T15:56:00.002-04:00

The European Parliament has been at work to harmonize security rules for member states.

The new rules, which were given the final nod by Parliament on 11 March, cover issues ranging from passenger and baggage screening to aircraft security checks and the recruitment and training of staff.

For the first time, in-flight security measures, such as access to cockpits, unruly passengers and so-called "sky marshals" are also dealt with by EU legislation. Nevertheless, the choice of whether to deploy in-flight security officers and whether they should carry weapons on planes has been left up to member states.

Also up to member states is the difficult issue of financing the measures. Rather than reach a consensus, it's up to the governments to determine "in which circumstances and to what extent the costs of security measures should be borne by the State, the airport entities, air carriers, other responsible agencies, or users."

From EurActiv.com in Parliament approves aviation security overhaul.

Airport Security Tip of the Week

2008-03-15T15:41:00.002-04:00

Natalia Ippolito, formerly of the TSA, offers a free Airport Security Tip of the Week by email. Her recent tip:

Many persons with Service Animals fly the friendly skies and must clear security like everyone else. If you travel with a service dog or monkey helper, here are some important tips:

1) You are encouraged to inform the security officer that the animal accompanying you is a service animal and not a pet. This provides you the opportunity to move to the front of the screening line since the TSO may need to spend more time with you.

2) Always advise the screening officer how you and your animal can best achieve screening when going through the walk through metal detector as a team.

3) You must assist with the inspection process by controlling the service animal while the screener conducts a search.

If you or someone you know uses service animals you should order them a copy of I MIGHT AS WELL BE NAKED: How to Survive Airport Screening With Your Clothes On! There are several
great tips for them as well as 368 tips for all air travelers!

Simply go to:==> http://www.imightaswellbenaked.com/

See you next week for another Airport Security Tip of the Week.
Travel Safe and Smart,
Natalia

You can subscribe to the tips at the website, where you'll also find more information about her book.

Beijing Olympics travel security

2008-03-12T20:16:00.002-04:00

The Shanghai Daily reports in Official: Security assured at Beijing Games that event security plans are underway.

The country's Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of State Security and armed police authority have set up a joint national-level command center to oversee the security at the Beijing Olympics in August.

The Chinese security forces are cooperating with the International Criminal Police Organization and the FBI has offered it's expertise. Terrorist attack drills were conducted last year.

However, a few days ago two terrorists were apprehended on a China Southern Airlines flight from Urumqi in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to Beijing.

The suspects, with one Uygur girl around 18 to 19, allegedly had planned to ignite gasoline that they smuggled onboard...

The plane made an emergency landing in Lanzhou, capital of neighboring Gansu Province, and no passenger or crew was injured in the foiled terrorist attack.

Some secessionists in Xinjiang planned to sabotage the 2008 Olympics in August, Wang Lequan, Party chief of Xinjiang admitted this week.

I suppose the good news is that they were caught.

On not having to pull the laptop out of the bag

2008-03-09T19:01:00.003-04:00

The TSA wants to reduce a major airport security headache for the flying public by eliminating the need to remove laptop computers for the carry-on x-ray check.

Laptops still will need to go through the x-ray, but if they are in a new type of bag that offers full view of the computer, they can stay in the bag.

The thing is, this bag doesn't exist yet. But it could. The TSA has developed a set of requirements and asked vendors to design and submit compliant white paper designs by April 17, 2008. Selected vendors would then submit actual prototype cases to the TSA in May for testing. These are the requirements:

• The carrying bag cannot exceed any one of the proposed dimensions – 16 inches in height, 24 inches wide and 36 inches long.

• The materials that make up the bag cannot degrade the quality of the X-ray image of the laptop.

• No straps, pockets, zippers, handles or closures of the bag can interfere with the image of the laptop.

• No electronics, chargers, batteries, wires, paper products, pens or other contents of the bag can shield the image of the laptop.

This is an enlightened attempt by the TSA to make a stressful and time-consuming process better. I can't wait to see what creative designs the bag-makers (or others!) come up with.

See:

Transportation Security Administration, TSA Goes Bag Shopping.
Government Security News, TSA launches search for the perfect laptop bag.

Training foreigners how to fly

2008-02-27T18:53:00.005-05:00

It turns out the United States is a great place to come learn to fly. There are hundreds of flight schools all across the country where you can earn your private pilot's license. And I've heard others report that the cost of flight training here is much lower than in, say, Europe.

The September 11 hijackers came to the U.S. for their flight training and as a result of that tragedy, rules were enacted placing some requirements on the process. Foreign prospective student pilots must obtain a certain type of visa and undergo a check by the TSA.

Well, ABC News is reporting that those requirements are widely ignored, in part because there is no effective enforcement by the TSA. Their source is a 2005 memo by TSA security official.

"Thousands of aliens, some of whom may very well pose a threat to this country, are taking flight lessons, being granted FAA certifications and are flying planes," wrote the TSA official, Richard A. Horn, in 2005, complaining that the students did not have the proper visas.

Another official found 8,000 foreign students in the FAA database who received pilot licenses without the TSA check.

Now, most of those pilots must be back in their home countries, or elsewhere, and not flying the skys over the U.S. But maybe some of them will be back...

Still, you'd think if they had visions of staging a terrorist attack, and they were prevented from getting their training in the U.S., they'd learn elsewhere.

The first two comment posts at ABC kind of capture the spectrum of the responses to the story. First:

This is outrageous!!!Thsoe involved should be considered Felons and face at least life in prison or the Death Penalty.The """Officials""" allowing these unlawful acts should be right in line with them for the prison bus!!!!How stupid can we get???????

Then:

How about a story about how US flight schools are struggling, how airports are closing, the economic effects of the Washington TFR on aviation businesses, I could go on. The anti-aviation slant in the media is getting so old... and doesn't reflect the attitude of the country. Fear-mongering stories like this gem from Brian Ross are not worthy of ABC.

No turbans at Brisbane Airport?

2008-02-25T22:34:00.002-05:00

It seems the balance between airport security and cultural sensitivity is slow to arrive at Brisbane Airport in Australia.

At that airport, employees from ISS Security "...demanded 13 people of the Sikh religion remove their turbans and a Muslim woman to take off her face veil," according to news.com.au in Airport tells faithful to take off turbans, veils.

A federal investigation has been launched into an edict by the company in charge of the airport's security to demand passengers remove for security checks religious headwear, including turbans, veils and Jewish skull caps.

As the article points out, standards elsewhere have evolved to protect cultural and religious practice, unless other indicators point to some suspicion. At Brisbane, according to the press report, the ISS folks say they were directed to require all passengers to remove headwear.

ISS has felt compelled to issue a press release (ISS Response to Media Reports) pointing out their dissatisfaction with recent press reports:

There have been some recent articles in a Brisbane newspaper regarding security at Brisbane Airport. In the articles, allegations are made of security breaches by ISS and of ISS’s failure to report certain matters to the relevant authorities.

ISS believes the allegations made are nothing more than a deliberate attempt to portray ISS as providing inadequate or deficient services to our clients and members of the public travelling through Brisbane Airport.

As such, ISS totally rejects the allegations. In our opinion, the articles have been reckless in not ascertaining or presenting accurate facts, and, it may even be argued, were designed and intended to provocatively and unnecessarily inflame public concerns.

There's more:

We believe that some of these allegations have been fed to the media by a small number of former employees who have not worked at the airport for some time, or by individuals who have never worked with ISS and have nothing more than a cursory understanding of ISS’s responsibilities. A number of the former employees involved in this were actually dismissed by ISS for serious breaches of ISS and governmental regulations - the type of people who have no place within ISS or in the provision of services to the travelling public.

It's quite a row.

Source for aviation security news

2008-02-16T11:25:00.004-05:00

PlanetData, "The Security News Network," offers security news and information in a variety of areas: global security, corporate security, cyber security, homeland security, and others - including aviation security.

Their Aviation Security page generally has several or maybe half a dozen news summaries a day with links to the original articles, information, analysis, and related events. There's no RSS feed at the moment, so you'll have to visit their site directly for your daily helping of news.

Registered users can submit story ideas, news, original articles and suggestions, as well as comment on stories and articles posted by their editors.

Clear offers $500,000 prize for security innovations

2008-02-15T21:55:00.004-05:00

Verified Identity Pass, the folks who bring us the Clear Registered Traveler Program, announced rules for the $500,000 “Clear Prize.”

This contest seeks to identify lower cost airport security lane technology that provides increased throughput.

Clear will purchase the winning team’s technology in bulk, once approved for use by the Transportation Security Administration at three airports where Clear operates fast pass lanes.

Clear says 70 companies have already responded to an initial invitation to apply. Details are available at http://www.flyclear.com/innovation/, but the contest requires pre-registration, an initial screening process, submission of innovations to the TSA for deployment at Clear’s lanes in at least three airports, and demonstration that

under real-world conditions, their innovations will achieve at least a 15% throughput enhancement, costing less than $0.25 per passenger screened.

Press release: Clear® Sets Rules for $500,000 Innovation Prize for Technology to Speed Throughput at Airport Security; Clear CTO: "Proposals Begin to Pour In From Around the World."

TSA shines the (black) light

2008-02-05T19:11:00.000-05:00

According to Occupational Health & Safety, the TSA has taken over boarding pass and identification checking at 400 of the 450 airports where it operates. This task had previously been performed by security guards hired by the airlines.

The TSA agents have been employing more robust ID verification methods, including the use of simple black lights to flag forged documents.

More than 40 passengers have been arrested since June 2007 in cases where TSA screeners spotted altered resident ID cards, passports, fraudulent visas, and forged driver's licenses.

A lot of these resulted in immigration arrests. Not exactly in the same league as terrorists, but it demonstrates the effectiveness of the change.

Source: TSA Upgrades Airport ID Checks with Black Lights

New security blog from the TSA

2008-02-03T21:23:00.000-05:00

On January 30, 2008, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) launched it's new moderated blog, Evolution of Security. From it's first post:

The purpose of this blog is to facilitate an ongoing dialogue on innovations in security, technology and the checkpoint screening process. We encourage your comments; your ideas and concerns are important to ensure that a broad range of travelers are active and informed participants in the discussion.

This is a significant action on the part of the TSA because they are looking to establish a meaningful dialog with the public. It's not intended to be a forum for individual problems or to report criminal activity, hence the moderated format of the blog.

The small cadre of TSA bloggers are just average TSA employees so maybe we won't find this to be simply an Agency mouthpiece. Maybe.

The discussions have certainly been lively with literally hundreds of comments posted by an audience with a lot of pent up aviation security issues.

Take a look, read some of the postings and associated comments, and contribute your own.

Buy a register traveler card with hotel points

2008-01-27T21:28:00.000-05:00

FLO Corporation, one of the TSA-approved Registered Traveler (RT) service providers, has announced that:

...as of February 15, 2008, Hilton HHonors members will be able to redeem HHonors points for an annual membership to FLO. This is the first national hotel customer loyalty program redemption agreement for FLO, wherein RT memberships can be acquired by redeeming loyalty points.

This is a pretty convenient arrangement for frequent travelers, who are also those most likely to participate in the RT program, which FLO neatly summarizes as a system where:

Travelers establish trust by agreeing to a background check. In return, they gain access to "fast lane" security checkpoints that provide expedited security screening.

Enrolling with FLO works like this:

1. Applicant provides personal and biometric information in FLO enrollment kiosk at airport, corporate campus, or other authorized enrollment center and pays an annual fee.

2. TSA performs a background check to determine eligibility for the Registered Traveler Program. (TSA does not disclose details of this process for security reasons).

3. Approved person receives FLO card with a digital code representing their fingerprint and iris scans through the mail.

4. At participating RT airports, FLO member enters expedited security lane, passes card over security kiosk and presses finger on reader or looks at iris scanner.

5. If biometric data matches the code on the card and FLO membership is still valid, FLO member goes through expedited security in accordance with Registered Traveler screening procedures established by TSA.

FLO has a User Experience Diagram (238K pdf) that you can download.

Australian airport security lacking?

2008-01-27T20:45:00.000-05:00

In June 2005, the Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services asked Sir John Wheeler to head a Review into Airport Security and Policing. This resulted in the report, An Independent Review of Airport Security and Policing for the Government of Australia, dated September 2005.

The Daily Telegraph, in Airport security threat as risk report gathers dust states:

The "safety and security" of Australians is being compromised by the Federal Government's failure to address serious gaps in airport security that were identified by a world authority more than two years ago.

Wheeler, who established the United Kingdom’s National Criminal Intelligence Service and had conducted a previous review of UK airport security, said that it is the responsibility of the government to implement the recommendations, and:

"...the safety and security of the people of Australia would best be met by implementing all of the recommendations."

The seventeen recommendations in the Wheeler report include information flow between government agencies and the private sector, establishment of an aviation and airport criminality unit, establishment of an Airport Police Commander at airports, certain agency reporting requirements, tightening the process required to obtain and hold an Aviation Security Identification Card, and expanded cargo screening.

You can find the Wheeler report and other background information at the State of Queensland website, and through the direct link to the report document. (M/S Word, 1MB)

Getting prints of all ten fingers.

2008-01-23T19:29:00.000-05:00

Boston's Logan Airport joins Dulles and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in using a 10-finger hand scanner for foreign residents traveling internationally.

Seven other airports are scheduled to start using the new system by the end of February. And by the end of the year, the devices are expected to be up and running in all the nation's international airports, seaports and border points.

Prints are matched against FBI and Defense Department databases.

Source: KXNet.com in Boston airport adds 10finger fingerprint scanner.

See also Government Technology, DHS Begins Collecting 10 Fingerprints from International Visitors at Boston Logan International Airport:

"Biometrics have revolutionized our ability to prevent dangerous people from entering the United States since 2004. Our upgrade to 10 fingerprint collection builds on our success, enabling us to focus more attention on stopping potential security risks," US VISIT Director Robert Mocny said.The

The ten finger process increases matching accuracy. By the way, those prints are matched not only against known terrorists, but also against the collected prints of unknown terrorists.

In other airport biometric security news, Manchester Airport is implementing an iris scanning portal for airport staff access. This replaces the typical ID card method of security. The double-door entry system is designed to eliminate "piggy-back" entry.

See vnunet.com in Manchester airport eyes up biometric security.

BA 777 crash landing at Heathrow

2008-01-20T11:53:00.000-05:00

Follow the news stories as details unfold of the January 17, 2008 crash landing of the British Airways Boeing 777 flight from Beijing to London:

http://news.google.com/?ncl=1126382648&hl=en&topic=w

See also the Plane Madness Podcast site where you'll find a collection of videos and the text of the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) Initial Report.

Sky Marshals for the EU

2008-01-13T16:41:00.000-05:00

Armed Sky Marshals are finally coming to European airline flights, according to EUbusiness.

At the end of "wide-ranging and lengthy consultations," European parliament members and officials from EU states agreed Friday [January 11, 2008] on a compromise setting new common rules and standards...

The deal sets common basic standards for airport and aircraft security, passengers and baggage, categories of articles that may be prohibited, cargo and mail, in-flight and airport supplies, and staff recruitment and training.

The arming of Marshals is not automatically ensured, however. The European Parliament says in Parliament and Council agree civil aviation security deal:

Weapons must not be carried on board an aircraft (with the exception of those carried in the hold), unless the requisite security conditions have been fulfilled in accordance with national laws and authorisation has been given by the states involved.