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posted by cmn32480 on Friday June 05 2015, @01:30PM   Printer-friendly
from the please-walk-through-the-naked-machine dept.

TSA Tests Consistently Evade Own Airport Screenings

ABC News reports on internal live-testing of TSA airport passenger screening procedures that successfully evaded detection of concealed weapons and explosives prior to boarding 95% of the time.

The series of tests were conducted by Homeland Security Red Teams who pose as passengers, setting out to beat the system.

According to officials briefed on the results of a recent Homeland Security Inspector General's report, TSA agents failed 67 out of 70 tests, with Red Team members repeatedly able to get potential weapons through checkpoints.

In one test an undercover agent was stopped after setting off an alarm at a magnetometer, but TSA screeners failed to detect a fake explosive device that was taped to his back during a follow-on pat down.

Officials would not divulge the exact time period of the testing other than to say it concluded recently.

While this report is alarming by itself, a TSA blog post from March 2013 commenting on the results of a previous test explains that the methods employed in these regular tests are deliberately designed to be unrealistically hard, and that the TSA's motivation is to drive improvements in security procedures ahead of terrorist capabilities to evade them:

The goal of the Red Team is to build tests that push the boundaries of our people, processes, and technology. We know that the adversary innovates and we have to push ourselves to capacity in order to remain one step ahead. With that said, our testers often make these covert tests as difficult as possible.

You might be wondering why our testers run tests that our Officers are prone to fail? It's because we want to see if our procedures, technology, and policies are or are not working. We also are constantly looking for ways to improve our performance. When a test is failed, we don't simply check a tick mark in a box and move on. Nor do we take punitive measures as this testing is a learning experience. The results are shared with TSA leadership at the airport and HQ, as well as the officers who were part of the test, noting areas for improvement where warranted.

Update

More news on this same story, now the Acting TSA director has been reassigned.

Just one of many news hits include: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/01/politics/tsa-failed-undercover-airport-screening-tests/

Washington (CNN) The Department of Homeland Security said Monday that the acting administrator for the Transportation Security Administration would be reassigned, following a report that airport screeners failed to detect explosives and weapons in nearly every test that an undercover team conducted at dozens of airports.


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  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 05 2015, @01:59PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 05 2015, @01:59PM (#192528)

    The fact that the TSA misses 95% of weapons and yet there have been no successful terrorist attacks is proof that the threat is too small to measure.

    Keep in mind that the TSA has never once apprehended someone who was convicted of anything remotely terror related. In fact, the one and only guy they have ever arrested on terrorism charges [usatoday.com] turned out to be nothing at all [clickorlando.com] after all.

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  • (Score: 2) by Kilo110 on Friday June 05 2015, @02:20PM

    by Kilo110 (2853) Subscriber Badge on Friday June 05 2015, @02:20PM (#192541)

    Well clearly then it must be the NSA's massive dragnet that's keeping us safe.

    /s

  • (Score: 1) by ghost on Friday June 05 2015, @03:24PM

    by ghost (4467) on Friday June 05 2015, @03:24PM (#192560) Journal
    The TSA is very good at finding criminals. Unfortunately, they find them in their employ. Maybe because they advertise on pizza boxes and at gas stations?
  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by frojack on Friday June 05 2015, @09:55PM

    by frojack (1554) on Friday June 05 2015, @09:55PM (#192690) Journal

    The fact that the TSA misses 95% of weapons and yet there have been no successful terrorist attacks is proof that the threat is too small to measure.

    More to the point there has been damn few un-successful terrorist attacks on planes.

    Misguided crazies, people off their meds, yes. All handily contained by passengers and fearsome 120 pound stewardesses.
    They never face anything more than a mild fine, most often no penalty at all.

    So what we have here is the expensive version of a Tiger Repelling Rock, that I have in my back garden.

    They may claim that the mere threat of being discovered keeps terrorists at bay.

    But apparently it doesn't keep the average traveler at bay, because in spite of missing 95% of the test items, they do confiscate boxes full [google.com] of knives and even an occasional handgun, but mostly inert stuff and even works of art, from people's luggage.

    They parade this stuff around for the news media. But if you start comparing pictures you find they are the same pictures of the same items, collected over 15 years, including things that are totally innocent. It seems novelty grenades are a favorite.

    --
    No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 05 2015, @10:25PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday June 05 2015, @10:25PM (#192700)

      >> Keep in mind that the TSA has never once apprehended someone who was convicted of anything remotely terror related.
      >
      > More to the point there has been damn few un-successful terrorist attacks on planes.

      You were saying?

      • (Score: 2) by frojack on Friday June 05 2015, @10:41PM

        by frojack (1554) on Friday June 05 2015, @10:41PM (#192702) Journal

        >> Keep in mind that the TSA has never once apprehended someone who was convicted of anything remotely terror related.
        >
        > More to the point there has been damn few un-successful terrorist attacks on planes.
        You were saying?

        Careful reading is important. Those measure two different things.
        TSA hasn't caught anybody attempting.
        There have been only a few attempts. (shoe bomber, underwear bomber unsuccessful) Germanwings? MH370?.

        They seize lots of stuff, but never charge anyone with terrorism.

        --
        No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 06 2015, @09:51PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 06 2015, @09:51PM (#193018)

          > Careful reading is important. Those measure two different things.

          Yes, yes it is.
          So what if there have been a couple of who got through NON-TSA airports?
          The TSA is domestic only.