Security Badge Abuse at DFW Airport

Security Badge Abuse at DFW Airport

  • By Ginger Hill
  • May 01, 2013

With airport security being such a serious issue, what good is a security badge allowing access to restricted areas if employees abuse their privileges by allowing family members and friends to access secure areas or to even skip checkpoints to board flights? Seems to me that is a major security breach that could lead to dangerous situations for all people in an airport environment.

NBC 5 dove into this issue by producing a segment (scroll down to see video) about the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport by exposing government officials and top airline executives caught in the act of abusing their Secure Identification Display Area (SIDA) badges. The rules of these badges are simple:

  • Badges can only be used by on-duty employees; and
  • Badge owners are not allowed to take anyone else through employee-only areas.

And, airport employees even sign a piece of paper indicating that they have read and understand the badge rules.

So, what happened?

Badge Seizure #1

An off-duty Continental Airlines worker, obviously anxious to get back home to Ohio, used his badge to allow his whole family, including himself, his wife and their two children, to board a van at a cargo facility and be driven across the airport ramp to terminal E. They would have made it too if a police officer hadn’t heard children laughing on the airport ramp. DFW police seized his security badge.

Badge Seizure #2

Fred Cleveland, a senior vice president and chief operating officer at American Eagle Airlines, was caught escorting his wife through the employee portal so they could welcome their daughter who was flying in. Receiving what I call a “slap-on-the-wrist,” Cleveland had to complete a badge re-training program before taking re-possession of his seized badge.

Badge Seizure #3

An off-duty American Airlines pilot, apparently decided to take a trip, but when he arrived at the airport and noticed the long lines at the checkpoints, he chose to use his badge to avoid the wait. His badge was seized.

Badge Seizure #4

An American Airlines flight attendant was caught sneaking a backpack through an employee entrance, giving it to her husband boarding a flight to Germany. Sarcastic tone, “Hmmm, not suspicious at all! I’m surprised she got caught!” Her badge was seized.

Badge Seizure #5

A TSA supervisor was caught by DFW police taking another worker through an employee door, obviously a place the worker shouldn’t have been, because the supervisor’s badge was seized.

Badge Seizure #6

A Federal Aviation Administration manager was caught using his badge to board a flight for personal reasons. Officers seized his badge.

Badge Seizure #7

An analyst working for the DFW airport board, the agency that actually issues the security badges, was caught escorting her husband through an employee door to board a flight. Police seized her badge.

In all seven of the above situations, I can think of at least five terrible events that could have transpired, resulting in injuries and deaths of a huge number of people. With the 9/11 tragedy, the Boston bombings, the Newtown incident, among many others, though not all directly related to an airport scenario, you would think that government officials and top airline executives would realize just how important security protocols are to the safety and security of everyone.

Larry Wansley, airport security consultant, sums it up nicely, “Sometimes, unfortunately, humans do some really stupid things.”

Check out NBC 5's exclusive about security badge abuse at DFW airport:

View more videos at: http://nbcdfw.com.

(Source: http://www.nbcdfw.com/investigations/Airline-Airport-Employees-Caught-Abusing-Security-Badges-205288061.html)

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.