USA Today.com - TSA tests ID scanning machines at IAD
Apr 14, 2012, 10:51 pm
#16
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A Driving License (the most common ID TSA sees for domestic flights, guessing probably 95% of ordinary pax) does not contain a frequent flyer number, ticket number, airline name, destination, flight number, flight date, gate number, boarding time, passenger record number, elite status, cabin class or seat number.
A boarding pass does not contain an address, photo, gender, date of birth (unless TSA starts requiring this secure fright stuff on every BP), DL number, name of state where a person's DL was issued, or categories of motor vehicles a person is authorized to operate by their license to drive.
They say
the machines will be stand alone devices not hooked to any datbases to get and compare such info.
That leaves only the NAME to compare. First, Middle Last, perhaps in a different order on the two items.
TSA is admitting the TDCs cannot do this mentally, after reading the name off both the BP and ID, because they want to buy a machine to compare the names.
Why not just hire some TDCs who can read and process three words mentally?
A boarding pass does not contain an address, photo, gender, date of birth (unless TSA starts requiring this secure fright stuff on every BP), DL number, name of state where a person's DL was issued, or categories of motor vehicles a person is authorized to operate by their license to drive.
They say
the machines will be stand alone devices not hooked to any datbases to get and compare such info.That leaves only the NAME to compare. First, Middle Last, perhaps in a different order on the two items.
TSA is admitting the TDCs cannot do this mentally, after reading the name off both the BP and ID, because they want to buy a machine to compare the names.
Why not just hire some TDCs who can read and process three words mentally?
Of course, all of that could be done with a simple scanner that's very commonly used at hotels, bars, etc costing a few hundred dollars per unit, and reading the text on the front and comparing it to what the scanner displays. But as we all know, the TSA has proven it can't match a name on a boarding pass to that on a license on more than one occasion, so they need to spend a fortune on new hardware and software to do it for them.
And I'd be surprised if those bar-friendly machines recognized a Nexus card
Apr 14, 2012, 11:39 pm
#17
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Boston
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http://shaun.net/blog/whats-containe...-pass-barcode/
Again, millions of dollars thrown at solving a non-existent problem.
Apr 15, 2012, 5:37 am
#19
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 1,685
This isn't about bad or not so bright TDCs, this isn't about security, or better ID technology....this is typical federal government.
They just spent millions on body scanners, and they need to spend millions more on other technologies, or Congress doesn't give them an increased budget next year. It's simply the same bureaucratic Washington budget politics we see at every agency.
So once these are installed at every airport, and ultimately prove to be yet another TSA technology failure, see puffer machines, they'll roll out yet another consultant conceived innovation and grease the wheels of the former directors' and managers' various consulting firms.
They just spent millions on body scanners, and they need to spend millions more on other technologies, or Congress doesn't give them an increased budget next year. It's simply the same bureaucratic Washington budget politics we see at every agency.
So once these are installed at every airport, and ultimately prove to be yet another TSA technology failure, see puffer machines, they'll roll out yet another consultant conceived innovation and grease the wheels of the former directors' and managers' various consulting firms.
Apr 15, 2012, 6:39 am
#20
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Where is the privavcy impact assessment they are supposed to publish?
Where is the privavcy impact assessment they are supposed to publish?
Apr 15, 2012, 7:43 am
#21
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,120
This makes me wonder if it is in any way connected to that $248 million dollar contract that MorphoTrust just got. I bet we are edging, closer to having a national ID for domestic travel. (Coming from a raging liberal, I feel this is crazy talk, but FT has made me aware of the web of government contracts.)
From their press release:
"MorphoTrust currently provides driver license issuance solutions to 41 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia; the facial recognition solution for the FBI’s Next Generation Identity program; and the multi-modal biometric software for the Department of Defense (DoD) Enterprise."
The company delivers solutions for secure ID issuance, such as U.S. driver licenses and passports, as well as for border management, law enforcement, retail, travel and applicant vetting through the use of document authentication, data verification and biometrics (iris, fingerprints and face).
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/tsa...ces-2012-04-10
From their press release:
"MorphoTrust currently provides driver license issuance solutions to 41 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia; the facial recognition solution for the FBI’s Next Generation Identity program; and the multi-modal biometric software for the Department of Defense (DoD) Enterprise."
The company delivers solutions for secure ID issuance, such as U.S. driver licenses and passports, as well as for border management, law enforcement, retail, travel and applicant vetting through the use of document authentication, data verification and biometrics (iris, fingerprints and face).
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/tsa...ces-2012-04-10
Apr 15, 2012, 2:45 pm
#24
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How many of the companies that got this TSA deal have violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act? At least one is guaranteed to be corrupt/corruptive.
The corrupt doing business at the expense of ordinary Americans -- this is yet another example.
The corrupt doing business at the expense of ordinary Americans -- this is yet another example.
Apr 15, 2012, 2:51 pm
#25
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Apr 15, 2012, 2:56 pm
#26
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There are many currently TSA-acceptable IDs that cannot be verified as real by the contractors' systems -- this won't be but a waste except to further monitor and control non-terrorists, ineffective as it will be.
Apr 16, 2012, 6:28 am
#27
Join Date: Jun 2004
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New optical screeners at IAD
This morning it was training day at Dulles with a new ID scanner. I took a pic here: http://flickr.com/photos/dcmetroblogger/7083596541/
What do you make of it? Will it close the fake boarding pass loophole? Or speed up the security theatre process at all?
What do you make of it? Will it close the fake boarding pass loophole? Or speed up the security theatre process at all?
Apr 16, 2012, 6:41 am
#28
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I wonder what it's using to validate the IDs - just matching Itineraries to IDs or if it's also verifying IDs against a database of valid State/Federal IDs. Anything that speed up the process is appreciated.
Apr 16, 2012, 7:09 am
#30
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That thing costs about $100k. It's intended to check for security flaws in the ID. From this article http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/s...tem/54302024/1 it seems like it just uses the information off the BP (Barcode and/or text) and ID vs. pulling from some database and "deletes" all the information once the pax is cleared.
It seems just like another easter egg hut as defined by ex-TSA Chief Kip Hawley:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...535660546.html
It seems just like another easter egg hut as defined by ex-TSA Chief Kip Hawley:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...535660546.html