Man claims simple approach to beat TSA screening devices

[Doppel]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-Blogger-exposes-loophole-1billion-fleet.html

I don't know if this is true, but it makes sense so I assume it is. I'm glad these machines are banned in Europe. They are nothing more than security theater anyway. Airports essentially stopped being targets many years ago.

 

[Kadarin]

Slashdot discussion: http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/03/07/0329255/the-ineffectiveness-of-tsa-body-scanners

 

[PokerGuy]

That's very interesting. I don't know if this is really accurate / true or not, but it certainly seems plausible, and I have absolutely no doubt the idiots at TSA would overlook such a massive flaw.

 

[zsdersw]

"The more they overtake the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain."

 

[TheVrolok]

No surprises here. Airport security is largely a veil anyway.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Wouldn't the metal detector catch this? I think the whole TSA process is largely a waste of time and money, but I would think the metal detector would deal with this particular issue.

 

[momeNt]

Wouldn't the metal detector catch this? I think the whole TSA process is largely a waste of time and money, but I would think the metal detector would deal with this particular issue.

I think it would get blended into the black surrounding the body image if it was some other sort of material as well, so it could pass through both the body scanner and the metal detector, wouldn't pass through a pat down or a strip search, so thank this guy for giving our government cause for having us put ALL of our clothes through the scanner and strip searched en mass similar to scenes from Schindler's List.

At least I won't have to work a stiffy up in my pants to give the TSA people a shot of my junk through the scanners, it will be there for all to see.

 

[Anarchist420]

I personally think that Michael Chertoff should be a slave to every person who went through a scanner. That sick fuck made money from the tax payer so that agents of the state could touch people. In addition, he should give all of the money he made back to the Treasury.

The TSA agents should be slaves to the people they touched.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Many airports have you face frontwards and then sideways in the scanners. Also, a software update could change the background from black to grey or some other shade.

 

[HumblePie]

also some airports are including sniffer areas as well. so certain materials will be sniffed out.

 

[HumblePie]

Many airports have you face frontwards and then sideways in the scanners. Also, a software update could change the background from black to grey or some other shade.

As far as turning sideways, that's not big deal to conceal either. Wear something baggy and rig an item through wire to "float" and be controlled by body movements if needed to move positions while hanging inside your clothing. Then you can direct it from one side of your body to another without it showing up on the scanner.

As far as the black background goes versus grey. The background color is not the problem. ALL metal is blended into the background color, regardless of what color it is for those scanners. That's how they work. Otherwise the machines would pick themselves up and nothing would be seen.

 

[Jaepheth]

I personally think that Michael Chertoff should be a slave to every person who went through a scanner. That sick fuck made money from the tax payer so that agents of the state could touch people. In addition, he should give all of the money he made back to the Treasury.

The TSA agents should be slaves to the people they touched.

Slavery is soooo 19th century.

 

[SAWYER]

This is obviously a fraaud against tax payers headed up by Michael Chertoff

 

[Throckmorton]

Does this happen because of the color ramp chosen or because the background is reflective? Both are easy to solve.

 

[PokerGuy]

Does this happen because of the color ramp chosen or because the background is reflective? Both are easy to solve.

The color doesn't matter, and neither does the background. The problem is that the machines are designed to 'see' the body and everything on it (with the body as the background contrast), while filtering out everything else.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Very interesting!! I have always thought TSA was useless anyways.
IMO all TSA does is give people who want to be real cops but cannot the opportunity to be cops...lolol

 

[mrCide]

I recently forgot a serrated blade on my keychain (an obvious one) in the dish that went through xray/inspection and it was just passed back to me. TSA is worthless.

 

[shira]

It's also well known that objects placed inside the body (for example, a brick of plastique placed in the rectum) are invisible to scanners. Frankly, it's rather amazing that there hasn't been a terrorist-downed flight in the U.S. since 9/11.

 

[momeNt]

It's also well known that objects placed inside the body (for example, a brick of plastique placed in the rectum) are invisible to scanners. Frankly, it's rather amazing that there hasn't been a terrorist-downed flight in the U.S. since 9/11.

Tinfoil hat on.

Maybe because terrorists didn't do it?

 

[FerrelGeek]

Slavery is soooo 19th century.

Not in parts of Africa, ME, or Asia it's not.

 

[lothar]

This is nothing new. TSA scanners are ineffective and has already been discussed ad nausem.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=32895729&postcount=124
http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=32895736&postcount=125

There's a reason both Israel and the EU don't use them.
EU's reason: Unhealthy dose of radiation, may cause cancer.
Israel's reason: They're not effective at finding terrorists. If they were effective at finding terrorists, Israel would implement the scanners at their airports regardless of whether they actually cause cancer or not.

 

[blankslate]

That's very interesting. I don't know if this is really accurate / true or not, but it certainly seems plausible, and I have absolutely no doubt the idiots at TSA would overlook such a massive flaw.

The machines were a way for someone to make boatloads of cash on people's fears actually.

 

[Zorba]

Wouldn't the metal detector catch this? I think the whole TSA process is largely a waste of time and money, but I would think the metal detector would deal with this particular issue.

I've never had to go through a metal detector in addition to the scanner, always been one or the other.

 

[Zorba]

also some airports are including sniffer areas as well. so certain materials will be sniffed out.

I think the sniffer program got cancelled last year because of maintenance issues and low success rate.

 

[Doppel]

It's also well known that objects placed inside the body (for example, a brick of plastique placed in the rectum) are invisible to scanners. Frankly, it's rather amazing that there hasn't been a terrorist-downed flight in the U.S. since 9/11.

It could be amazing. I don't think it is because I think the actual threat to the homeland of the US has NEVER been high. Prior to 911 it was virtually unheard of and is virtually unheard of post 911. Planes are a fvcking terrible target for terrorists now so only the most idiotic of them bother. And what do the smart ones do? Oh, right, nothing, because there aren't many terrorists in the US after all!