Airport security in a post-COVID-19 world
May 14, 20, 1:23 pm
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 27,003
I believe that TSA approaches airport passenger screening from the wrong direction. TSA's screening procedures base screening on the premise that all passengers present a possible threat when reality is that ~99.99999999999999999% of passengers present absolutely no threat. More in flight passenger incidents have happened because of mental illness, drugs, and alcohol but almost none from terrorist acts when based on how many people fly each day.
So if the basic screening premise is wrong then the obvious path is to find a way to focus on that tiny fraction of a percentage of actual potential threats. We already know that in past Red Team tests that TSA has a poor ability to find threats. So poor that TSA started hiding the results from the public but I would guess that the failure rate is still overly high. Perhaps the direction to go would be to base screening on available public records for starters. If a person has no history or has violations of law then take a harder look at them. If a person has a lengthy history and no criminal record then spend less time with them. I think the term Risk Based Screening would be the correct term.
Even if TSA had thoughts leaning in this direction I have little confidence that TSA has the talent to determine a better path forward or the ability to implement such changes. That's really the saddest thing about TSA!
So if the basic screening premise is wrong then the obvious path is to find a way to focus on that tiny fraction of a percentage of actual potential threats. We already know that in past Red Team tests that TSA has a poor ability to find threats. So poor that TSA started hiding the results from the public but I would guess that the failure rate is still overly high. Perhaps the direction to go would be to base screening on available public records for starters. If a person has no history or has violations of law then take a harder look at them. If a person has a lengthy history and no criminal record then spend less time with them. I think the term Risk Based Screening would be the correct term.
Even if TSA had thoughts leaning in this direction I have little confidence that TSA has the talent to determine a better path forward or the ability to implement such changes. That's really the saddest thing about TSA!
May 14, 20, 7:01 pm
#32
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,526
I believe that TSA approaches airport passenger screening from the wrong direction. TSA's screening procedures base screening on the premise that all passengers present a possible threat when reality is that ~99.99999999999999999% of passengers present absolutely no threat. More in flight passenger incidents have happened because of mental illness, drugs, and alcohol but almost none from terrorist acts when based on how many people fly each day.
So if the basic screening premise is wrong then the obvious path is to find a way to focus on that tiny fraction of a percentage of actual potential threats. We already know that in past Red Team tests that TSA has a poor ability to find threats. So poor that TSA started hiding the results from the public but I would guess that the failure rate is still overly high. Perhaps the direction to go would be to base screening on available public records for starters. If a person has no history or has violations of law then take a harder look at them. If a person has a lengthy history and no criminal record then spend less time with them. I think the term Risk Based Screening would be the correct term.
Even if TSA had thoughts leaning in this direction I have little confidence that TSA has the talent to determine a better path forward or the ability to implement such changes. That's really the saddest thing about TSA!
So if the basic screening premise is wrong then the obvious path is to find a way to focus on that tiny fraction of a percentage of actual potential threats. We already know that in past Red Team tests that TSA has a poor ability to find threats. So poor that TSA started hiding the results from the public but I would guess that the failure rate is still overly high. Perhaps the direction to go would be to base screening on available public records for starters. If a person has no history or has violations of law then take a harder look at them. If a person has a lengthy history and no criminal record then spend less time with them. I think the term Risk Based Screening would be the correct term.
Even if TSA had thoughts leaning in this direction I have little confidence that TSA has the talent to determine a better path forward or the ability to implement such changes. That's really the saddest thing about TSA!
May 16, 20, 9:28 am
#34
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: on the path to perdition
Programs: Delta, United
Posts: 4,722
May 17, 20, 6:44 am
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,526
Originally Posted by Boggie Dog View Post
Apparently TSA will start doing passenger temperature checks in some airports starting as early as Monday. Another sad day for America brought to you by TSA.
Apparently TSA will start doing passenger temperature checks in some airports starting as early as Monday. Another sad day for America brought to you by TSA.
"I cannot find any law that gives TSA the authority to perform temperature checks as reported. ..." (Bennie Thompson)
In mid-February, CNN reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had screened more than 30,000 passengers on flights from China, but not a single US coronavirus case had been caught by the airport temperature checks.
In mid-February, CNN reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had screened more than 30,000 passengers on flights from China, but not a single US coronavirus case had been caught by the airport temperature checks.
May 17, 20, 10:57 am
#36
formerly known as Tad's Broiled Steaks
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,403
May 18, 20, 8:05 am
#37
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Greensboro
Programs: TSA
Posts: 2,415
From your post #18 in response to Section 107:
"A report leaked out of the TSA"
I could be wrong, it would not be the first time.
May 18, 20, 8:32 am
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 27,003
I am not 100% certain that was a Red Team test series, I think that was DHS IG (which most will argue is semantics, but it is different):
"A report leaked out of the TSA"
I could be wrong, it would not be the first time.
"A report leaked out of the TSA"
I could be wrong, it would not be the first time.
May 18, 20, 11:07 am
#39
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Greensboro
Programs: TSA
Posts: 2,415
May 18, 20, 12:14 pm
#41
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Greensboro
Programs: TSA
Posts: 2,415
I am uncertain of whether they are OIG, I know that TSA has Red Teams, and they have published that info in the past. OIG may have Red Teams, but I am not privy to all of that info. I do know that OIG conducts testing/evaluations, TSA conducts testing/evaluations, the specific name for them at OIG is not known to me.
May 18, 20, 12:29 pm
#42
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(
Posts: 2,434
May 18, 20, 12:38 pm
#43
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(
Posts: 2,434
I am uncertain of whether they are OIG, I know that TSA has Red Teams, and they have published that info in the past. OIG may have Red Teams, but I am not privy to all of that info. I do know that OIG conducts testing/evaluations, TSA conducts testing/evaluations, the specific name for them at OIG is not known to me.
May 18, 20, 3:05 pm
#44
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 27,003
My understanding is that the OIG is an independent office within the DHS umbrella, not an agency level activity.
Last edited by Boggie Dog; May 18, 20 at 3:14 pm Reason: Corrected Department to DHS
May 18, 20, 3:27 pm
#45
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Greensboro
Programs: TSA
Posts: 2,415
"Red teams" is a generic term borrowed from the armed services, it is not used as the official term inside DHS. Office of Inspections has its "ASAP" - Aviation Security Assessment Program - teams, OIG has its own special audit team that conducts covert testing (which is/was not made up of security specialists as is/are the folks assigned to Inspections). Other law enforcement organizations involved in aviation security also conduct covert testing.
I know that we use the term Red Team in conversation, although they probably have a government nomenclature that is around 8 words as the official title for the actual crew that deploys (the Feds do love alphabet soup). I *believe* ASAP is the program outlining a lot of what is to be conducted... please do not quote me on that, I seem to recall that being a I think the OIG teams function a bit differently (that is just a guess based on the way some of their published info is written), although they have the same ultimate goal.
