Re: TSA, security technology, and opting out

Posted by Owen Densmore on
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/TSA-security-technology-and-opting-out-tp5759060p5771409.html

As Tory pointed out, Schneier is great (http://www.schneier.com/).  One his recent posts included this:

A short history of airport security: We screen for guns and bombs, so the terrorists use box cutters. We confiscate box cutters and corkscrews, so they put explosives in their sneakers. We screen footwear, so they try to use liquids. We confiscate liquids, so they put PETN bombs in their underwear. We roll out full-body scanners, even though they wouldn’t have caught the Underwear Bomber, so they put a bomb in a printer cartridge. We ban printer cartridges over 16 ounces — the level of magical thinking here is amazing — and they’re going to do something else.

This is a stupid game, and we should stop playing it.

I gotta say, after looking into this stuff, looking at the naked bodies and the "enhanced patdowns" (which Schneier calls a terrorist tactic to get us through the back-scatter device), I'm hoping we return to sanity.

Sez Bruce: Exactly two things have made airplane travel safer since 9/11: reinforcing the cockpit door, and convincing passengers they need to fight back. Everything else has been a waste of money. Add screening of checked bags and airport workers and we’re done. Take all the rest of the money and spend it on investigation and intelligence.

Good way to decrease the deficit!

    -- Owen

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