TSA screws up, publishes 'redacted' security procedures that can easily be read

[Newsjock]

Source: Wandering Aramean

When the TSA make mistakes this egregious it really isn’t all that hard to pick on them.

The latest is that their Screening Management Standard Operating Procedure is published on the internet. ... They chose to publish a redacted version of the document, hiding all the super-important stuff from the public. But they apparently don’t understand how redaction works in the electronic document world. See, rather than actually removing the offending text from the document they just drew a black box on top of it. Turns out that PDF documents don’t really care about the black box like that and the actual content of the document is still in the file.

Yup, their crack legal staff managed to screw this one up pretty badly. Want to know which twelve passports will instantly get you shunted over for secondary screening, simply by showing them to the ID-checking agent? Check out Section 2A-2 (C) (1) (b) (iv). Want to know the procedure for CIA-escorted passengers to be processed through the checkpoint? That’s in the document, too. Details on the calibration process of the metal detectors is in there. So is the procedure for screening foreign dignitaries.


... Want to read it for yourself? Grab a copy here. Who knows how long they’ll keep it online.

Read more: http://www.wanderingaramean.com/2009/12/tsa-makes-another-stupid-move.html

[The Straight Story]

1. saved a copy (nt)

[Hoopla Phil]

10. I just did. Unfortunately it is now properly redacted.

I'm bummed.

[DRoseDARs]

18. No, no it's not. Read below and bask in the continuing dumbosity. n/t

[Junkdrawer]

2. Self delete...

[no limit]

3. Wow, even tells you what kind of gauge of wire to use to avoid detection.

[Hoopla Phil]

11. Not anymore.

[kirby]

4. Responsible person must be fired...

This has happened so many times over the past several years by different organizations... The fact that it happened to TSA highlights their incompetence.

[liberal N proud]

5. Jeesh!

[HysteryDiagnosis]

6. I want to know why little old ladies have such a hard time getting

past the security screening... I saw them wiping the bottoms of their feet and doing all sorts of seemingly unnecessary things.. my guess would be that their husbands hunt and possibly reload their own shells. I mean, these women were elderly and definitely appeared to be locals... what a shame. I myself had to pitch a small jar of "gourmet" mustard cuz it was in my carry on, and more than three ounces... sealed, labeled, I've lived here for more than 5 decades... what a nuthouse security screening is.

[Junkdrawer]

7. Wonder if this will get slashdotted?

:shrug:

[Junkdrawer]

21. It made it to Wired...

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/12/tsa-leak

[SidDithers]

8. Dumbasses...nt

Sid

[Hoopla Phil]

9. Bummer. Seems to be properly redacted now.

:(

[SidDithers]

13. Wasn't a few minutes ago...

just drag-select the text from before the redacted section to the text after the redacted section, copy it, then paste it into your word processor.

Sid

Edit: typo

[Subdivisions]

14. I've got Bluebeam. I can see through the redactions. Interesting. I'll have to take

some time later to look this over.

[SidDithers]

15. Nice...

the free Adobe Reader shows the boxes, but the test is still is under them.

Sid

[Hoopla Phil]

16. Gotcha. Thanks!

[Hoopla Phil]

12. Anyone know how to look for a cached file?

[DRoseDARs]

17. Nope, still not redacted properly... lol

Just right-click on the block boxes and the context menu will come up. One of the options in the list is to "Look up..." whatever word happens to be there at the point you clicked on... "hidden" under the black box.

For example, Section B. of 3.4.1 ETD Contamination Control begins thusly:
"If the ETD device alarms the TSO, TSO must change his or her gloves..." blah blah blah.

[MineralMan]

19. Hell, they even have graphics showing what several

IDs look like, including CIA and Senate Member ID.

You can select them and cut and paste into any graphics program.

Someone's a moron.

[HillbillyBob]

20. Goner

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