Comments on: Better Security http://crankyflier.com/2008/01/02/better-security/ Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:44:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: New Year…New Security Rules | Flight Wisdom http://crankyflier.com/2008/01/02/better-security/comment-page-1/#comment-80811 New Year…New Security Rules | Flight Wisdom Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:33:40 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2008/01/02/better-security/#comment-80811 [...] Security, as Patrick Smith(through the Cranky Flier), reminds us, is the last line of defense, after law enforcement. Cranky asks: “…how is it that [...] [...] Security, as Patrick Smith(through the Cranky Flier), reminds us, is the last line of defense, after law enforcement. Cranky asks: “…how is it that [...]

]]> By: Mark http://crankyflier.com/2008/01/02/better-security/comment-page-1/#comment-17869 Mark Mon, 07 Jan 2008 15:28:45 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2008/01/02/better-security/#comment-17869 Finally some intelligent suggestion on aviation security. The current system is a disgraceful nightmare. No one will ever convince me its necessary for millions of people to take their shoes off in the airport security line because one person, one time attempted to blow up an airplane with a shoe bomb. Aviation security is not about being politically correct. Its about utilizing scarce resources in the most efficient manner possible. I could care less whether "profiling" is a dirty word to some. Profiling allows screeners to focus limited resources where they will likely do the most good. I understand back in 01' from a political standpoint why the TSA bureaucracy had to be created. However, if we had been less panicky, we could have come up with a cheaper system that identified security risks much more efficiently. The fact that TSA is now in place virtually guarantees that the focus will be on manpower and employee issues rather than on true security needs. Finally some intelligent suggestion on aviation security. The current system is a disgraceful nightmare. No one will ever convince me its necessary for millions of people to take their shoes off in the airport security line because one person, one time attempted to blow up an airplane with a shoe bomb.

Aviation security is not about being politically correct. Its about utilizing scarce resources in the most efficient manner possible. I could care less whether “profiling” is a dirty word to some. Profiling allows screeners to focus limited resources where they will likely do the most good.

I understand back in 01′ from a political standpoint why the TSA bureaucracy had to be created. However, if we had been less panicky, we could have come up with a cheaper system that identified security risks much more efficiently. The fact that TSA is now in place virtually guarantees that the focus will be on manpower and employee issues rather than on true security needs.

]]> By: CF http://crankyflier.com/2008/01/02/better-security/comment-page-1/#comment-17168 CF Wed, 02 Jan 2008 20:03:27 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2008/01/02/better-security/#comment-17168 Andy - This data isn't additional data to be collected. It's already collected by every airline when you make a reservation. So, I'm not sure what it could be misused for that couldn't already happen today. And since the data is already collected, it shouldn't cost much more to use it for this purpose. It's certainly far cheaper than creating a new monstrous database with commercial data from a variety of other sources. I would think the goal would be to err on the side of false positives. If you're on the list, you'll just get secondary screening. People get that all day long today for no good reason, so this will still be an improvement. Andy – This data isn’t additional data to be collected. It’s already collected by every airline when you make a reservation. So, I’m not sure what it could be misused for that couldn’t already happen today. And since the data is already collected, it shouldn’t cost much more to use it for this purpose. It’s certainly far cheaper than creating a new monstrous database with commercial data from a variety of other sources.

I would think the goal would be to err on the side of false positives. If you’re on the list, you’ll just get secondary screening. People get that all day long today for no good reason, so this will still be an improvement.

]]> By: Andy http://crankyflier.com/2008/01/02/better-security/comment-page-1/#comment-17167 Andy Wed, 02 Jan 2008 20:03:21 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2008/01/02/better-security/#comment-17167 One more thing: those trainable searches (smart profiling, overlook frequent travelers etc.) can be abused to work against the process: now the terrorists can have a new target: the identity of such a "trusted" traveler or even access to his luggage. You have this each time you have a preferential line. One more thing: those trainable searches (smart profiling, overlook frequent travelers etc.) can be abused to work against the process: now the terrorists can have a new target: the identity of such a “trusted” traveler or even access to his luggage. You have this each time you have a preferential line.

]]> By: Andy http://crankyflier.com/2008/01/02/better-security/comment-page-1/#comment-17161 Andy Wed, 02 Jan 2008 19:56:22 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2008/01/02/better-security/#comment-17161 In terms of "cheap" it is not: the data providers and the integrators will definitively make money... I don't think it'll be successful for another reason though: the ratio of terrorists among flying public is so small that you'll either have false negatives (and a plane blows up) or false positives (harass innocent passengers). Better luggage screening and passenger education is the best we can do so far. One more reason this is bad is the amount of data collected. How soon before that consolidated data is misused for other purposes? In terms of “cheap” it is not: the data providers and the integrators will definitively make money…

I don’t think it’ll be successful for another reason though: the ratio of terrorists among flying public is so small that you’ll either have false negatives (and a plane blows up) or false positives (harass innocent passengers). Better luggage screening and passenger education is the best we can do so far.

One more reason this is bad is the amount of data collected. How soon before that consolidated data is misused for other purposes?

]]> By: Godzilla http://crankyflier.com/2008/01/02/better-security/comment-page-1/#comment-17076 Godzilla Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:15:23 +0000 http://crankyflier.com/2008/01/02/better-security/#comment-17076 The difference here is that you are talking about profiling data - not people. As you point out, the data in use is only that which is provided by the customer and/or the reservations system. The fault lies as much with large corporations who see dollar signs, as it is with the TSA. The prototype project for CAPPS II that was run in 2004 netted the four corporate contestants a nice bit of pocket change, and yielded nothing. The difference here is that you are talking about profiling data – not people. As you point out, the data in use is only that which is provided by the customer and/or the reservations system.

The fault lies as much with large corporations who see dollar signs, as it is with the TSA. The prototype project for CAPPS II that was run in 2004 netted the four corporate contestants a nice bit of pocket change, and yielded nothing.

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