House Report Criticizes Security Gaps at Airports

House Report Criticizes Security Gaps at Airports

A report written by the House Homeland Security Subcommittee says that the systems in place to vet the nearly one million people who work within U.S. airports are insufficient.

The report, obtained by CNN, found inconsistent screening of airport employees, insufficient TSA access to intelligence information used to vet individuals and inadequate control of access to sensitive areas of airports.

The report cited several headlines from media reports that covered times people with security clearances smuggled guns or drugs into airports, or were associated with militant groups like ISIS. It also highlighted a number of specific cases where the government said dozens of employees had incomplete records.

In addition to the reports summation of this “disturbing reality,” the report also referred to many previous government and media reports about shortcomings in airport security; most notably, the leaked government watchdog report that showed a 95 percent failure rate from covert texts of the TSA screening process. Almost all banned items made it through airport security in that report from 2015.

As a solution to these security issues, the subcommittee recommended tightening the process for granting airport workers credentials and instituting regular reassessments, as well as airports and air carriers look at the “costs and feasibility of expanding the physical screening of employees.”

They also called for airports to implement the FBI’s RAPBack program, a background check database that constantly monitors and updates employers on the criminal background of employees.

The report also repeatedly called for increased cooperation from the FBI, with the Department of Homeland Security leading the way, as different government organizations to monitor the nation’s airports. They believe the FBI has been slow to involve their agencies and said the FBI had not been “forthcoming” to the Homeland Security Committee.

Featured

  • Survey: 54% of Organizations Cite Technical Debt as Top Hurdle to Identity System Modernization

    Modernizing identity systems is proving difficult for organizations due to two key challenges: decades of accumulated Identity and Access Management (IAM) technical debt and the complexity of managing access across multiple identity providers (IDPs). These findings come from the new Strata Identity-commissioned report, State of Multi-Cloud Identity: Insights and Trends for 2025. The report, based on survey data from the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), highlights trends and challenges in securing cloud environments. The CSA is the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment. Read Now

  • Study: Only 35 Percent of Companies Include Cybersecurity Teams When Implementing AI

    Only 35 percent of cybersecurity professionals or teams are involved in the development of policy governing the use of AI technology in their enterprise, and nearly half (45 percent) report no involvement in the development, onboarding, or implementation of AI solutions, according to the recently released 2024 State of Cybersecurity survey report from ISACA, a global professional association advancing trust in technology. Read Now

  • New Report Series Highlights E-Commerce Threats, Fraud Against Retailers

    Trustwave, a cybersecurity and managed security services provider, recently released a series of reports detailing the threats facing the retail sector, marking the second year of its ongoing research into these critical security issues. Read Now

  • Stay Secure in 2024: Updated Cybersecurity Tips for the Office and at Home

    Cyber criminals get more inventive every year. Cybersecurity threats continue to evolve and are a moving target for business owners in 2024. Companies large and small need to employ cybersecurity best practices throughout their organization. That includes security integrators, manufacturers, and end users. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols. 3

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions. 3

  • 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. 3