Collaborate Disseminate
Embedded in this story about infidelity and a mid-flight altercation, there’s an interesting security tidbit: The woman had unlocked her husband’s phone using his thumb impression when he was sleeping…… Continue reading Hacking a Fingerprint Biometric
In a proposed rule by the FAA, it argues that software in an Embraer S.A. Model ERJ 190-300 airplane is secure because it’s proprietary: In addition, the operating systems for current airplane systems are usually and historically proprietary. Therefore, they are not as susceptible to corruption from worms, viruses, and other malicious actions as are more-widely used commercial operating systems,… Continue reading The FAA Is Arguing for Security by Obscurity
The Department of Homeland Security is rumored to be considering extending the current travel ban on large electronics for Middle Eastern flights to European ones as well. The likely reaction of airlines will be to implement new traveler programs, effectively allowing wealthier and more frequent fliers to bring their computers with them. This will only exacerbate the divide between the… Continue reading Extending the Airplane Laptop Ban
I’ve been reading a bunch of anecdotal reports that the TSA is starting to scan paper separately: A passenger going through security at Kansas City International Airport (MCI) recently was asked by security officers to remove all paper products from his bag. Everything from books to Post-It Notes, documents and more. Once the paper products were removed, the passenger had… Continue reading Why Is the TSA Scanning Paper?
Last Monday, the TSA announced a peculiar new security measure to take effect within 96 hours. Passengers flying into the US on foreign airlines from eight Muslim countries would be prohibited from carrying aboard any electronics larger than a smartphone. They would have to be checked and put into the cargo hold. And now the UK is following suit. It’s… Continue reading The TSA’s Selective Laptop Ban
Former TSA Administrator Kip Hawley wrote an op-ed pointing out the security vulnerabilities in the TSA’s PreCheck program: The first vulnerability in the system is its enrollment process, which seeks to verify an applicant’s identity. We know verification is a challenge: A 2011 Government Accountability Office report on TSA’s system for checking airport workers’ identities concluded that it was "not… Continue reading Security Risks of TSA PreCheck
Le Monde and the Intercept are reporting about NSA spying in Africa, and NSA spying on in-flight mobile phone calls — both from the Snowden documents…. Continue reading New NSA Stories
The detailed accounts of the terrorist-shooter false-alarm at Kennedy Airport in New York last week illustrate how completely and totally unprepared the airport authorities are for any real such event. I have two reactions to this. On the one hand, this is a movie-plot threat — the sort of overly specific terrorist scenario that doesn’t make sense to defend against…. Continue reading Terrorist False Alarm at JFK Airport Demonstrates How Unprepared We Really Are
Adam Conover interviewed me on his podcast. If you remember, I was featured on his "Adam Ruins Everything" TV episode on security…. Continue reading I’m on an "Adam Ruins Everything" Podcast
The New York Times wrote a good piece comparing airport security around the world, and pointing out that moving the security perimeter doesn’t make any difference if the attack can occur just outside the perimeter. Mark Stewart has the good quote: "Perhaps the most cost-effective measure is policing and intelligence — to stop them before they reach the target," Mr…. Continue reading Good Article on Airport Security