Catch up on stories from the past week (and beyond) at the Slashdot story archive

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror

Submission Summary: 0 pending, 14 declined, 45 accepted (59 total, 76.27% accepted)

×
Security

Submission + - TSA Discovers Live Animals Hidden Under Clothes (tsa.gov)

Submitted by OverTheGeicoE
OverTheGeicoE writes: On the day they learned that EPIC's lawsuit to eliminate airport scanning and patdowns isn't over yet, the US Transportation Security Agency seems to want the public to know that, despite the fact that they haven't stopped any actual terrorists yet, their security practices are valuable for general law enforcement. TSA's "Blogger Bob" gives us this entry on live animals TSA has discovered beneath airline passengers' clothing. A man at Miami International Airport had seven small snakes and three turtles under his pants. They were discovered using a body scanner. He was arrested and charged with violating the Lacey Act, the same law that has been causing Gibson Guitar and traveling musicians so much trouble recently. In a separate incident, a woman at Los Angeles International Airport had two birds taped to her body (one to her leg, another to her chest) that were discovered during a patdown search. She was charged with attempting to smuggle endangered species to China.

Even if this was criminal behavior, does this really justify TSA's notoriously invasive search practices? Should enforcement of the Lacey Act and other similar laws be part of TSA's mandate?
Security

Submission + - EPIC Files for Rehearing in Body Scanner Case (epic.org)

Submitted by OverTheGeicoE
OverTheGeicoE writes: The Electronic Privacy Information Center has filed for a rehearing in their case against DHS regarding airport body scanners. In their latest court filing (PDF), EPIC argues that last month's ruling requiring a public comment period but no other changes was based on incorrect information. From TFA:

"The court overstated the effectiveness of the body scanner devices and understated the degree of the privacy intrusion to the travelling public," stated EPIC President Marc Rotenberg. EPIC's petition challenged the Court's finding that the devices detect "liquid and powders," which was never established and was not claimed by the government. EPIC also argued that the court wrongly concluded that the TSA is not subject to a federal privacy law that prohibits video voyeurism. The panel found that TSA body scanner employees are "engaged in law enforcement activity," contrary to the TSA's own regulations.

Note that this is a request for a rehearing with the same court that rejected their request to stop TSA's use of body scanners. It is not an appeal to a higher court. Is EPIC likely to obtain a more favorable ruling from the same court?

Security

Submission + - $62.5B/Life Saved From Terrorism Since 9/11? (schneier.com)

Submitted by OverTheGeicoE
OverTheGeicoE writes: Bruce Schneier has a blog post summarizing a recent analysis of US security spending since 9/11. Over the nearly ten-year period the original analysis identifies 33 incidents targeting the US worldwide, with 14 total deaths from these incidents. (Bruce Schneier adds another incident and raises the number of deaths to 16.) All the victims died from gunfire. No incident involved a successful explosives detonation. Most of the incidents are mere plots where nothing was actually attacked, and some of these were "facilitated by law enforcement." Al Qaeda was not involved in any incident targeting the US during this time period.

The cost-benefit analyses are interesting. If you accept the widely-used estimate that the United States has spent $1 trillion on security (excluding foreign wars, of course) the authors of the original analysis assert the US can only justify the spending if it prevents the equivalent of four Times Square-type bombings per day. Schneier estimates that it cost the US $62.5 billion per life saved over this period. Are these conclusions correct? If so, do Americans really perceive this kind of spending as reasonable and sustainable?
United States

Submission + - Cell Location Data Protected by US 4th Amendment (epic.org)

Submitted by OverTheGeicoE
OverTheGeicoE writes: The Electronic Privacy Information Center reports that a US Federal Judge has ruled cell phone location data is protected by the fourth amendment. The government wanted Verizon Wireless to turn over hundreds of days worth of position data for an undisclosed suspect's cell phone without a warrant. In his ruling (PDF), Judge Garaufis states that "The fiction that the vast majority of the American population consents to warrantless government access to the records of a significant share of their movements by 'choosing' to carry a cell phone must be rejectedIn light of drastic developments in technology, the Fourth Amendment doctrine must evolve to preserve cell-phone user's reasonable expectation of privacy in cumulative cell-site-location records."

The Register of the UK also has a story with a more European perspective.
Security

Submission + - DHS Tries to Hide Mobile Scanner Details (epic.org)

Submitted by OverTheGeicoE
OverTheGeicoE writes: The Electronic Privacy Information Center filed a Freedom of Information Act request last year with the US Department of Homeland Security, whose Transportation Security Administration has been investigating the use of x-ray scanning technology for covert use in more public places, like train stations and even ordinary city streets. TSA has tested interesting devices like the Z Backscatter Vans both privately and on members of the general public. EPIC recently received new documents from DHS. Some of the documents are almost completely black from redactions.
Security

Submission + - Airline pilots allowed to dodge security screening (wired.com)

Submitted by OverTheGeicoE
OverTheGeicoE writes: Wired has a story about TSA's known crewmember program, which allows airline pilots to bypass traditional airport security on their way to the cockpit. Pilots will be verified using a system known as CrewPASS that relies on uniforms, identity cards, fingerprints, and possibly other biometrics to authenticate flight deck crews. Once they are authenticated, they can enter secure areas in airports without any further screening. Participation at present is voluntary, and applies at Baltimore/Washington (BWI), Pittsburg (PIT), Columbia (CAE) and now Chicago O'Hare (ORD) airports. TSA is hoping to expand the program nationally.

Bruce Schneier thinks this program is "a really bad idea". Pilots are already avoiding scanners and patdowns at security checkpoints. Is this new program just a way for TSA to hide this fact from the flying public?
Encryption

Submission + - Feds' radios have significant security flaws (wsj.com) 1

Submitted by OverTheGeicoE
OverTheGeicoE writes: The Wall Street Journal has a story describing how the portable radios used by many federal law enforcement agents have major security flaws that allow for easy eavesdropping and jamming. Details are in a new study being released today. The authors of the study were able to intercept hundreds of hours of sensitive traffic inadvertently sent without encryption over the past two years. They also describe how a texting toy targeted at teenage girls can be modified to jam transmissions from the affected radios, either encrypted or not.
Security

Submission + - Science fair entry shuts down airport (oregonlive.com) 2

Submitted by OverTheGeicoE
OverTheGeicoE writes: A graduate student was returning home from a science fair in Omaha with his handmade entry in his carry-on luggage. When TSA discovered it they shut down the airport for several hours, until they could determine it was harmless. All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again, so before you fly with your homemade Minty MP3 player make sure you take a look at TSA Blogger Bob's warning or it could wind up looking like this.
Australia

Submission + - Airport body scanners useless: German police (google.com)

Submitted by OverTheGeicoE
OverTheGeicoE writes: The German government just finished a 10-month test of millimeter-wave body scanners made by L3 Communications. It appears they are not happy with the results. The devices raise false alarms 7 times out of 10, and are confused by layered clothing, boots, zippers, pleats, and even incorrect posture. Australia recently started a trial, and the second person in at the Sydney airport set off the alarm repeatedly due to sweaty armpits.

Back in the US, TSA is trying software upgrades to address privacy concerns. Upgraded scanners will show only outlines to TSA staff, not naked images. Upgrades are being rolled out for millimeter-wave scanners now, and will be tested on X-ray scanners starting "in the fall." (The German and Australian scanners already had this technology, it appears.)

Back in the US, TSA is trying software upgrades to address privacy concerns. Upgraded scanners will show only outlines to TSA staff, not naked images. Upgrades are being rolled out for millimeter-wave scanners now, and will be tested on X-ray scanners starting "in the fall." (The German and Australian scanners already had this technology, it appears.)
Google

Submission + - Google+ growing at unprecedented rate (wsj.com)

Submitted by OverTheGeicoE
OverTheGeicoE writes: The Wall Street Journal reports that Google+ has added 20 million users in just 3 weeks. According to the article, no other site has recorded such high growth in such a short time period. Twitter did something similar once, but in months, not weeks. It's especially surprising considering that access to Google+ is by invitation only.

Why is Google+ growing so quickly? Perhaps the obligatory XKCD reference actually offers some insight.
Security

Submission + - Public comment period required for body scanners (epic.org)

Submitted by OverTheGeicoE
OverTheGeicoE writes: The District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals has finally issued a ruling on EPIC v. DHS, a lawsuit seeking suspension of the use of body scanners for primary screening pending an independent review that would include a public comment period. According to the summary, the court "grant[s] the petition for review" but "due to the obvious need for the TSA to continue its airport security operations without interruption, we remand the rule to the TSA but do not vacate it".

IANAL, but it sounds like TSA is required to open up their policy for public comment, but they can continue to use the scanners in the meantime and most likely afterward. This doesn't sound like much of a victory for EPIC or the US public.
Security

Submission + - Cancer cluster possibly found among TSA workers (epic.org)

Submitted by OverTheGeicoE
OverTheGeicoE writes: TSA employees at Logan International Airport believe they have identified a cancer cluster in their ranks, according to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act and released by the Electronic Privacy Information Center. They have requested dosimetry to counter "TSA's improperly non-monitored radiation threat". So far, at least, they have not received it.

The documents also reveal a document from Johns Hopkins that in effect questions whether it is even safe to stand near an operating scanner, let alone inside one. Also, the National Institute of Standards and Technology says that the Dept. of Homeland Security "mischaracterized" their work by telling USA Today that NIST affirmed the safety of the scanners when in fact NIST does not do product safety testing and never tested a scanner for safety.
United States

Submission + - US House to TSA: No New Scanners For You (epic.org)

Submitted by OverTheGeicoE
OverTheGeicoE writes: According to the Electronic Privacy Information Center, the US House of Representatives has passed a budget for the Transportation Security Agency that omits $76 million in funding for 276 new body scanners.

The EPIC press release also mentions an upcoming Ban the Scan rally in New York City that I won't be attending as I'd have to fly to get there. It also draws attention to the work of a former Miss USA, Susie Castillo, who will be receiving a "Champion of Freedom" award from EPIC at a ceremony later this month. In a country where few public figures have the courage to stand up for basic freedoms, how influential might she be?
Security

Submission + - US Congress Tries to Cut Body Scanner Funding (epic.org) 1

Submitted by OverTheGeicoE
OverTheGeicoE writes: The Electronic Privacy Information Center reports that the US House of Representatives is trying to cut funding for new airport body scanners from next year's budget. This would prevent TSA from installing 275 new scanners in airports in FY 2012, at a cost of $76 million.

Slashdot Top Deals

Every successful person has had failures but repeated failure is no guarantee of eventual success.

Close