Security expert Bruce Schneier has just posted the conclusion of his five-part interview with TSA chief Kip Hawley. Today, they talk about securing stuff that isn't airplanes, and ways of security airplanes without having to ensure that all the people on the airplane are good guys.
I regularly criticize overly specific security measures, because forcing the terrorists to make minor modifications in their tactics doesn't make us any safer. We've talked about specific airline threats, but what about airplanes as a specific threat? On the one hand, if we secure our airlines and the terrorists all decide instead to bomb shopping malls, we haven't improved our security very much. On the other hand, airplanes make particularly attractive targets for several reasons. One, they're considered national symbols. Two, they're a common and important travel vehicle, and are deeply embedded throughout our economy. Three, they travel to distant places where the terrorists are. And four, the failure mode is severe: a small bomb drops the plane out of the sky and kills everyone. I don't expect you to give back any of your budget, but when do we have "enough" airplane security as compared with the rest of our nation's infrastructure?
See also:
TSA chief: facial twitches fight terrorism
TSA chief: no-fly lists work, but it's a secret
TSA chief promises an eternity of unshoeing
Bruce Schneier interviews TSA head Kip Hawley
