Tech to speed airport scans

 

Connecting state and local government leaders

Transportation Security Administration is looking for more ways to get travelers through airport checkpoints more efficiently without compromising security.

With airline passenger ranks increasing and agency budgets shrinking, the Transportation Security Administration wants to get travelers through airport checkpoints more efficiently without compromising security, according to Austin Gould, assistant administrator of TSA's Requirements and Capabilities Analysis Office.

"For us, it's checkpoint CT [computed tomography], more accurate screening of luggage," he said in remarks at a June 20 industry day in Washington, D.C . The agency is deploying more of the sophisticated scanning equipment that produces fewer false alarms, he said.

The CT scanners are currently deployed at 18 airports, giving TSA agents a 3D view of a bag's contents and also allowing passengers to keep electronics and liquids inside their carry-ons.  The scanners are already in use for scans of checked luggage where they look for explosives.  TSA looks to get 2,000 of the systems into U.S. airports in the next five years, with 145 systems installed by the end of 2019.

Another Department of Homeland Security unit, the Science and Technology Directorate, is working on a millimeter wave-based shoe scanner as part of the larger Apex Screening at Speed Program that leverages research and development activities that increase security while dramatically reducing wait times and improving the passenger experience. The scanner would take data on the types of shoes passengers wear and create algorithms that look for anomalies and concealed threats.  A prototype is being built and should be completed this year, S&T said.

Addressing another bottleneck, TSA expects to deploy better handling of identification documents at airport security checkpoints.

"We've been trying to deploy CATs [credential authentication technology] since 2008," said Latetia Henderson, TSA's assistant administrator of acquisition program management. "It's an old priority, but it is my No. 1 priority." Henderson said the technology, which will allow passengers to have their government-issued ID scanned electronically at checkpoints, promises to speed passengers through the security checks and provide more security efficiency.

The agency has been testing CAT, she said, and is moving to implement it soon. The CAT systems are the first IT systems to be deployed at the checkpoint, so they will have to optimize its operational performance, she said.

Even with the more efficient CAT document processing and the more accurate CT screening of luggage, however, Gould said TSA will need help with developing more accurate and efficient "on-person screening" technologies and processes that "get people though the checkpoint more quickly, but [don’t] compromise security."

The IT office's first priority is to tie all those operational components together, said Russell Roberts, TSA CIO and assistant administrator, information technology.

"My first and most important priority is to stabilize the networks" that support the agency, he said. "We have to stabilize all of the systems that we use to support the agency's counterterrorism mission."

"Cybersecurity is critical," he said referencing the recent news that one of Customs and Border Protection's contractors had recently been breached. "There's lots of horror stories out there," he told industry attendees. "If you want to do business with us you'd better be good at cybersecurity."

Delivering technology that TSA's airport partners can work with is also important, he said.

Both TSA and the Department of Homeland Security are looking for increasingly close ties with industry and with airport and travel industry stakeholders to solve problems in innovative ways, according to top TSA and DHS officials headlining the industry day.

TSA's three strategic priorities, said Patricia Cogswell, the agency's acting deputy administrator, are to enhance security, develop its workforce and accelerate action from identifying threats to fielding solutions.

Industry and stakeholders such as airports will play an increasingly larger role in addressing those priorities, she said. The key to the future, she said, is to stop saying, "We always did it that way."

DHS Chief Procurement Officer Soraya Correa, who appeared onstage with Cogswell at the TSA event, agreed. She pointed to her agency's repeated efforts to bring industry in on developing technology and contracts early and often, as well as to engage potential contractors who have never worked with the federal government before.

This article was first posted to FCW, a sibling site to GCN.

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.