$1B of Nude Body Scanners Made Worthless — How Anyone Can Get Anything Past TSA NoS
#31
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 627
STOPper: Security Through Obscurity Proponent
"I was at the gate waiting for my flight, reading an article on my tablet about NoSes being ineffective. A nosy soccer-mom STOPper in the next seat over saw the headline and started loudly lecturing me about how the person who wrote that article should be ashamed of himself for showing terrorists how to fool the NoS."
I've proposed a few other acronyms and short terms for some people and events:
DWIM: Delay With Intent to Miss. Retaliatory secondary screening to make you miss your flight. Countermeasure: always arrive 2:00 early.
Pro-TSAer: Someone who will sing praise of the TSA no matter what. They insist that the Shoe Carnival is going to be eliminated, the TSA would never lie, and they'd rather be felt up than blown up. They also insist that NoSes are coming to cruise terminals. They're also excited and willing to go through the NoS.
Don't-Carer: Someone who thinks the TSA is the "cost" of living in the "greatest country" on earth, and thinks you should just get over it. These people refuse to actually express their opinions of the TSA; they only confirm it as a fact of life like death and taxes.
#32
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 616
http://blog.tsa.gov/2012/03/viral-vi...-scanners.html
While he derides the video as a "crude attempt," he doesn't deny that this is a gaping hole in the capabilities. More non-answers from our favorite blogger.
While he derides the video as a "crude attempt," he doesn't deny that this is a gaping hole in the capabilities. More non-answers from our favorite blogger.
#33
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: DCA / WAS
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You mean the same way the 9/11 attackers beat the system with crude, unsophisticated attacks?
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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#35
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: DL NWA UA
Posts: 177
The government responded angrily...
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/201...scanner-video/
The government responded angrily Wednesday to a YouTube video allegedly showing a 27-year-old Florida man sneaking a metallic object through two different body scanner devices at American airports.
Slightly OT but I'll make the point nonetheless. In the health care debate, it seems that dealing with a gov't bureaucracy is somehow better than dealing with a private insurance bureaucracy. Our gov't is inept and incapable. At some point every organization, company, school, whatever, gets to be a certain size that it renders itself bloated and incapable of making smart decisions.
The government responded angrily Wednesday to a YouTube video allegedly showing a 27-year-old Florida man sneaking a metallic object through two different body scanner devices at American airports.
Slightly OT but I'll make the point nonetheless. In the health care debate, it seems that dealing with a gov't bureaucracy is somehow better than dealing with a private insurance bureaucracy. Our gov't is inept and incapable. At some point every organization, company, school, whatever, gets to be a certain size that it renders itself bloated and incapable of making smart decisions.
#36
In Memoriam
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Easton, CT, USA
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Posts: 31,801
http://blog.tsa.gov/2012/03/viral-vi...-scanners.html
While he derides the video as a "crude attempt," he doesn't deny that this is a gaping hole in the capabilities. More non-answers from our favorite blogger.
While he derides the video as a "crude attempt," he doesn't deny that this is a gaping hole in the capabilities. More non-answers from our favorite blogger.
Why don't you release the security footage of me going through your MMW scanners so that all can see? CLE airport, USAir gates, 3/4, 2:57 PM.
Your layer is broken, Bob, as is your agency.
Jonathan Corbett
March 7, 2012 4:34 PM
#37
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,592
For the better part of the last three years, I have taken great delight at distributing within my friends and colleagues in the federal government those best posts I see on FT that point out TSA's stupidity, ineffectiveness, or just plain lunacy.
At first, I'd get many strident responses defending TSA, while admitting that yes, they could do better. After about a year of defending TSA, they'd respond with humor, no longer defending that miserable waste of our tax dollars.
I'll enjoy passing this one around tomorrow.
At first, I'd get many strident responses defending TSA, while admitting that yes, they could do better. After about a year of defending TSA, they'd respond with humor, no longer defending that miserable waste of our tax dollars.
I'll enjoy passing this one around tomorrow.
#38
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,425
The comment are an interesting read on the blog. Including this one
Why don't you release the security footage of me going through your MMW scanners so that all can see? CLE airport, USAir gates, 3/4, 2:57 PM.
Your layer is broken, Bob, as is your agency.
Jonathan Corbett
March 7, 2012 4:34 PM
Why don't you release the security footage of me going through your MMW scanners so that all can see? CLE airport, USAir gates, 3/4, 2:57 PM.
Your layer is broken, Bob, as is your agency.
Jonathan Corbett
March 7, 2012 4:34 PM
#39
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: Delta Diamond Medallion 1MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, National Car Executive Elite
Posts: 550
Dumbed-Down Constituational nonScholar
or
DuDASH
Dumbed-Down Anything for Security Human
Last edited by KDS; Mar 10, 2012 at 7:07 am
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,410
Indeed the fact that a body scanner can be beaten has been known at least since the publication of Leon Kaufman & Joseph W. Carlson: An evaluation of airport x-ray backscatter units based on image characteristics, J. Transp. Secur. (2011) 4:73–94.
From the article: "It is also easy to see that an object such as a wire or a boxcutter blade, taped to the side of the body, or even a small gun in the same location, will be invisible."
This current YouTube post, however, does well to get the issue back into the news.
From the article: "It is also easy to see that an object such as a wire or a boxcutter blade, taped to the side of the body, or even a small gun in the same location, will be invisible."
This current YouTube post, however, does well to get the issue back into the news.
#41
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New Times Broward: TSA Response to Viral Body Scanner Video *Not* Actually a Response
The New Times Broward-Palm Beach has posted a Rich Abdill item about this:
New Times Broward-Palm Beach:
TSA Response to Viral Body Scanner Video Not Actually a Response
Thu., Mar. 8 2012 at 6:04 AM
Categories: Bad Ideas
Regarding two TSA statements, the author writes:
New Times Broward-Palm Beach:
TSA Response to Viral Body Scanner Video Not Actually a Response
Thu., Mar. 8 2012 at 6:04 AM
Categories: Bad Ideas
Regarding two TSA statements, the author writes:
Both [TSA] statements avoid the main question, which is whether a gap this embarrassingly obvious was really uncovered by a man who likes making a scene at airports because he doesn't want anyone to touch his balls.
#44
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,972
As far as I undertstand it, the energy is stopped by moisture, which is a property that human skin has but no clothing does. This also explains why sweat has been an issue.
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: An NPR mind living in a Fox News world
Posts: 14,165
I wonder how leather-softening oil would work as a moisture substitute -- like glove oil used on baseball gloves?