[SecurityRatty] tag: alias

Chertoff: We're Closing that Boarding-Pass Loophole

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:57:00 +0000

Five years later, the Department of Homeland Security gets around to fixing a security hole that allows people to easily fly under an alias, bypassing anti-terror name screening.

What Happens When You Reply To ALL of Your Spam

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:50:18 +0000

Each S.P.A.M. volunteer saw an average of 70 spam messages arrive in their in-box each day, with men receiving about 15 more per day than women. That was a lot to answer, but "Penelope Retch" — the alias that Mooney chose for her S.P.A.M. adventure — answered every single message.

Five-Year-Old Boy Detained by the TSA

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 07:53:20 +0000

His name is similar to someone on the "no fly" list:

A five-year-old boy was taken into custody and thoroughly searched at Sea-Tac because his name is similar to a possible terrorist alias. As the Consumerist reports, "When his mother went to pick him up and hug him and comfort him during the proceedings, she was told not to touch him because he was a national security risk. They also had to frisk her again to make sure the little Dillinger hadn't passed anything dangerous weapons or materials to his mother when she hugged him."

The explanation is simple: to the TSA, following procedure is more important than common sense. But unfortunately, catching the next terrorist will require more common sense than it will following proper procedure.

If I ever get to interview Kip Hawley again, I'll ask him about this.