Analysis from a JHU CS Prof

Wed Sep 12 20:38:05 UTC 2001

The best airport security is considered the Israeli airport
security organization.  A recent article in a travel magazine
followed a security expert through the airport as he intentionally
did things to "trip" the multiple layers of security.  It relies
more on trained humans than technology.

Of course, the US aviation community is certainly well aware of
this, so it is probably not necessary to present solutions to the 
problems of airport security on NANOG.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dave O'Shea [mailto:doshea at telentente.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 2:44 PM
> To: Kevin Day; John Fraizer
> Cc: David Howe; Email List: nanog
> Subject: RE: Analysis from a JHU CS Prof
> 
> 
> 
> Federal penitentiaries have among the best security in the world, and
> use highly invasive searches combined with a very limited 
> access policy
> and severe limitations about what may be brought into a 
> prison. Weapons,
> edged and blunt, are still quite common.
> 
> Any security policy that doesn't put into place measures to deal with
> threats as they arise is ineffective by definition. Talking sternly to
> the offender is of questionable value when the offender is a crabby
> stockbroker annoyed about the inflight meal.  
> 
> Personally, I have a ticket to fly somewhere next week that I 
> purchased
> for the dirt-cheap price of $140 round-trip. I'm beginning to 
> think I'd
> be much happier spending twice that to fly on a half-empty 
> plane with a
> couple of really short-tempered marines sitting towards the 
> back of the
> plane.
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Kevin Day [mailto:toasty at temphost.dragondata.com]
> > Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 1:43 PM
> > To: John Fraizer
> > Cc: David Howe; Email List: nanog
> > Subject: Re: Analysis from a JHU CS Prof
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > On Wed, 12 Sep 2001, David Howe wrote:
> > > 
> > > > 
> > > > > There are mechanisms in place that would detect this type of
> > > > > behavior.  (Prebooking multiple flights for the same 
> > individual.)
> > > > Does a domestic flight require a passport or other form 
> > of positive ID?
> > > > if not, they could book as many tickets as needed with a 
> > different name per
> > > > ticket.
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Yes.  Photo identification to get your tickets, period, the end.
> > 
> > Not necessarily. I've boarded planes several times without 
> > showing a piece
> > of ID. With the new automated check-in kiosks in several 
> > airports, if you
> > have no luggage to check-in, you don't see a person at all.. 
> > (You still do
> > need a credit card in your name though) Both times I left 
> Houston-Bush
> > International, I had my tickets printed and checked in by 
> > only telling the
> > attendant my name. (I thought it was very strange, but didn't 
> > question it)
> > 
> > Many really small regional airports allow you to board 
> > without going through
> > metal detectors/bag x-rays. Once you get off the plane at the
> > destination(larger airport) you're behind the "secure" zone, 
> > and can also
> > board another flight without going through one.
> > 
> > I'm not saying that these kinds of things are what caused 
> yesterday's
> > events, or that whoever did this didn't use fake ID's, so I'm 
> > not sure that
> > strictly enforcing this sort of thing would have mattered anyway.
> > 
> > 
> > -- Kevin
> > 
> > 
> > 
> 