TSA

Apps & Software
April 5, 2016
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TSA Randomizer App Cost

The TSA paid $1.4 million for an app that takes 10 minutes to develop

By on April 5, 2016 at 3:05 PM.

The TSA paid $1.4 million for an app that takes 10 minutes to develop

If you’ve flown across the country at any point in the past couple of years, you’ve probably come into contact with the Transportation Security Administration’s Randomizer app on the iPad. It’s an incredibly simplistic app that decides which lane you’re going to stand in while you wait to pass through security.

What you might not know is that the TSA paid $1.4 million for the app. More →

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Lifestyle
December 22, 2015
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TSA Body Scanners

TSA agents can now force passengers to go through body scanners, even if they opt out

By on December 22, 2015 at 4:05 PM.

TSA agents can now force passengers to go through body scanners, even if they opt out

Just in time for the busy holiday travel season, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has changed the rules of airport protocol to allow TSA agents to force certain passengers to go through the Advanced Imaging Technologies (AIT), even if they want to opt out and would prefer a pat-down. More →

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Lifestyle
December 16, 2015
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TSA PreCheck Air Travel Program

The one thing you should be doing before flying out for the holidays

By on December 16, 2015 at 8:00 PM.

The one thing you should be doing before flying out for the holidays

Flying home for the holidays? If you are, then you’d better make sure you pack a book, charge your phone, and get ready to survive the airport madness. Flying home for Christmas and New Years can be very time consuming and tiring, but the most annoying thing about air travel is the security check you have to go through.

Of course, modern history shows that, even if proven ineffective in certain cases security controls are needed, so you can’t escape them. And you shouldn’t. But there’s a trick that could save you a ton of time when going through security checks that will pay off especially during the holidays when hordes of travelers are assaulting airports everywhere. More →

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Security
September 11, 2015
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TSA Luggage Lock Master Keys

Good job, TSA: Anyone with a 3D printer can make a key that fits your luggage lock

By on September 11, 2015 at 6:35 PM.

Good job, TSA: Anyone with a 3D printer can make a key that fits your luggage lock

In spite of the many security policies it enforces, the TSA isn’t really on top of its game when it comes to guarding its own secrets. Not long ago, a publication ran a story on TSA security measures complete with a high-resolution image that showed the master luggage keys the agency uses to open locked luggage. At the time, it was believed the picture would provide enough details for anyone their own master keys – and it looks like that’s exactly what happened. Anyone with a 3D printer can download the schematics off the Internet and print their own keys.
More →

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Security
August 20, 2014
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TSA Scanners Security Issues

Researchers can easily fool former TSA X-ray scanners and sneak in dangerous weapons

By on August 20, 2014 at 10:30 PM.

Researchers can easily fool former TSA X-ray scanners and sneak in dangerous weapons

This isn’t the first time someone managed to sneak by a weapon past a TSA Rapiscan full-body X-ray scanner, but Wired reports that scientists have taken the procedure to a new level and have come up with various techniques to completely fool the security device. More →

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Security
July 7, 2014
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TSA Smartphone Power and Battery

If you forget to charge your phone, airport security might force you to leave it behind

By on July 7, 2014 at 9:20 AM.

If you forget to charge your phone, airport security might force you to leave it behind

Frequent fliers who also happen to own various smart devices including smartphones, tablets and laptops should make sure their toys have good-enough battery charges and can be easily turned on during security checks, so agents can play with them, Engadget reports. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said on Sunday in a press release that it requires certain overseas airports with direct flights to the U.S. to check whether electronic devices power on and work as supposed to. More →

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