December 28, 2009

Air travel these days - our security

Bruce Schneier is someone widely respected in the Computer Security field. He writes about the two Nigerians and offers some ideas:
Separating Explosives from the Detonator
Chechen terrorists did it in 2004. I said this in an interview with then TSA head Kip Hawley in 2007:
I don't want to even think about how much C4 I can strap to my legs and walk through your magnetometers.
And what sort of magical thinking is behind the rumored TSA rule about keeping passengers seated during the last hour of flight? Do we really think the terrorist won't think of blowing up their improvised explosive devices during the first hour of flight?

For years I've been saying this:
Only two things have made flying safer [since 9/11]: the reinforcement of cockpit doors, and the fact that passengers know now to resist hijackers.
This week, the second one worked over Detroit. Security succeeded.

EDITED TO ADD (12/26): Only one carry on? No electronics for the first hour of flight? I wish that, just once, some terrorist would try something that you can only foil by upgrading the passengers to first class and giving them free drinks.
So true -- I wonder just how long it will be until we are strapped into one of these:
lecter_restraint.jpg
bolted down onto the floor where the seats used to be, dosed full of Ambien and revived when the airplane touches down again. How about handing out a baseball bat to every passenger as they board. True, the terrorists will have one too but there are more of us than there are of them... Posted by DaveH at December 28, 2009 12:23 PM
Comments

Base ball bats wont do. Archie Bunker Years ago in an episode of all in th family advocated handing out guns to all passengers as they boarded the airplane. It could work!

Posted by: bob rapp at December 29, 2009 9:22 AM
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