The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was established following the 9/11 attack. It is part of the Department of Homeland Security. The unit is concerned with the security of transport systems that ensure safety and freedom of movement of Americans and commerce. In this paper I will look on the security screening and inspection conducted by TSA and the practices in place to curb insider threats.
Security screening and inspection, especially in airports, is one security line of effort that TSA looks on. TSA consists of people who screen passengers, gather intelligence and conduct analysis of passengers who are travelling (DHS, 2016). The role TSA plays contributes a lot in ensuring the safety of the Americans when on transport systems.
Screening of aviation employees.
The TSA conducts regular screening of aviation workers before they are allowed to access secure areas in the airport. The employees are also restricted in accessing secure areas and if the employees are travelling they are also screened like the normal passengers. At the end of every two years the employees are checked if they have been involved in any criminal activity using fingerprint checks. This is meant to detect insider threat early and reduce them (DHS, 2016). Screening of the employees regularly during the working hours allows TSA to curb cases like the one that involved a Delta Airline employee, who colluded with a gun smuggler and facilitated transportation of illegal guns from Atlanta to New York. Such guns are a threat to citizens. (TSA, nd).
To get Airport Identification (ID) that allows new hires to “access secure, sterile and air operations areas of the airport” the TSA conducts security checks to ensure the new employees are not listed in the terrorist database and they are in the United States legitimately. If the employee is not found in the terrorism database, the next step is to conduct checks on criminal history related to offenses listed in the statutes of the past ten years. Only the employees who pass all the checks are issued with the ID. Even after giving employees IDs, TSA continues to conduct impromptu screening on employees, their properties and ID verifications (DHS, 2016).
Screening of passengers.
Passengers security checks starts before they arrive at the airport, the TSA works closely with other intelligence and law enforcement units. The passengers are screened using seen and unseen checks. All passengers above 18 years must provide a valid identification document like passport, recognized driving license, borders cards and the like. The passenger must also agree to be physically checked, including pat-down, using TSA PreCheck® (DHS, 2016). This check ensures the passenger is not carrying any chemical or object that may threatened the travelers lives.
The passengers carry-on bags are screened to detected explosives and other harmful items. In this screening travelers are requested to remove all items that are bigger than a mobile phone from their bags and liquids. The items are passed through X-ray screening and liquids may be tested to determine whether they contain dangerous chemical substances (TSA, nd). Passengers who carry breast milk for their children, the milk is also tested like any other liquid. It is good to note that due to Covid19 TSA is allowing passenger to carry hand sanitizers in small amounts.
Screening of children
Children below 12 years’ old who travel with their parents are also screened to ensure security for all. The children are made to walk through screening technologies like metal detectors and stand on imaging technology. If an alarm is heard the child may be made to undergo other procedures in order to resolve the alarm. In case, the child is disabled TSA allows the parent or the guardian to carry the child to ease the screening process (TSA, nd).
The insider threat has a high risk in any given entity in comparison with other threats. To prevent it there are recognized practices that can be put in place. These practices include;
Employee awareness (See Something/Say Something) and recognition programs.
TSA fosters a culture of emerging security threat awareness. The unit has a training department that keeps the employees well-informed with what is going on in the world. Security awareness training programs are an ongoing process (TSA, 2018). The employees who act as whistleblower in case of a possible threat are recognized and rewarded accordingly. The unit encourages the employees to talk when they sense behaviors that are a threat to the American citizens while on travel.
Zoning security badges, to further limit employee access within restricted areas.
By limiting the number of employees who have access to a given area, TSA is able to conduct checks and identify possible insider threats. For example, employees with badges not allowed to access a sterile area, if they access it that action should raise an alarm of a possible insider threat. Such employees should not be left to walk scot free (TSA, nd). They should answer what they were doing and with whose permission. Before passengers are allowed to board the accessed airline the TSA should first conduct a check to detect any possible explosive, dangerous liquid or items that pose risk to citizens (TSA, 2018).
In conclusion, the TSA plays a great role in ensuring citizens are safe while traveling. The unit has been able to seize weapons and other items that are a threat to American lives from passengers. The unit stakeholders are able to work together for the good of the United States citizens.
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Security screening and inspection, especially in airports, is one security line of effort that TSA looks on. TSA consists of people who screen passengers, gather intelligence and conduct analysis of passengers who are travelling (DHS, 2016). The role TSA plays contributes a lot in ensuring the safety of the Americans when on transport systems.
Screening of aviation employees.
The TSA conducts regular screening of aviation workers before they are allowed to access secure areas in the airport. The employees are also restricted in accessing secure areas and if the employees are travelling they are also screened like the normal passengers. At the end of every two years the employees are checked if they have been involved in any criminal activity using fingerprint checks. This is meant to detect insider threat early and reduce them (DHS, 2016). Screening of the employees regularly during the working hours allows TSA to curb cases like the one that involved a Delta Airline employee, who colluded with a gun smuggler and facilitated transportation of illegal guns from Atlanta to New York. Such guns are a threat to citizens. (TSA, nd).
To get Airport Identification (ID) that allows new hires to “access secure, sterile and air operations areas of the airport” the TSA conducts security checks to ensure the new employees are not listed in the terrorist database and they are in the United States legitimately. If the employee is not found in the terrorism database, the next step is to conduct checks on criminal history related to offenses listed in the statutes of the past ten years. Only the employees who pass all the checks are issued with the ID. Even after giving employees IDs, TSA continues to conduct impromptu screening on employees, their properties and ID verifications (DHS, 2016).
Screening of passengers.
Passengers security checks starts before they arrive at the airport, the TSA works closely with other intelligence and law enforcement units. The passengers are screened using seen and unseen checks. All passengers above 18 years must provide a valid identification document like passport, recognized driving license, borders cards and the like. The passenger must also agree to be physically checked, including pat-down, using TSA PreCheck® (DHS, 2016). This check ensures the passenger is not carrying any chemical or object that may threatened the travelers lives.
The passengers carry-on bags are screened to detected explosives and other harmful items. In this screening travelers are requested to remove all items that are bigger than a mobile phone from their bags and liquids. The items are passed through X-ray screening and liquids may be tested to determine whether they contain dangerous chemical substances (TSA, nd). Passengers who carry breast milk for their children, the milk is also tested like any other liquid. It is good to note that due to Covid19 TSA is allowing passenger to carry hand sanitizers in small amounts.
Screening of children
Children below 12 years’ old who travel with their parents are also screened to ensure security for all. The children are made to walk through screening technologies like metal detectors and stand on imaging technology. If an alarm is heard the child may be made to undergo other procedures in order to resolve the alarm. In case, the child is disabled TSA allows the parent or the guardian to carry the child to ease the screening process (TSA, nd).
The insider threat has a high risk in any given entity in comparison with other threats. To prevent it there are recognized practices that can be put in place. These practices include;
Employee awareness (See Something/Say Something) and recognition programs.
TSA fosters a culture of emerging security threat awareness. The unit has a training department that keeps the employees well-informed with what is going on in the world. Security awareness training programs are an ongoing process (TSA, 2018). The employees who act as whistleblower in case of a possible threat are recognized and rewarded accordingly. The unit encourages the employees to talk when they sense behaviors that are a threat to the American citizens while on travel.
Zoning security badges, to further limit employee access within restricted areas.
By limiting the number of employees who have access to a given area, TSA is able to conduct checks and identify possible insider threats. For example, employees with badges not allowed to access a sterile area, if they access it that action should raise an alarm of a possible insider threat. Such employees should not be left to walk scot free (TSA, nd). They should answer what they were doing and with whose permission. Before passengers are allowed to board the accessed airline the TSA should first conduct a check to detect any possible explosive, dangerous liquid or items that pose risk to citizens (TSA, 2018).
In conclusion, the TSA plays a great role in ensuring citizens are safe while traveling. The unit has been able to seize weapons and other items that are a threat to American lives from passengers. The unit stakeholders are able to work together for the good of the United States citizens.
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