Aviation Security: TSA Has Completed Key Activities Associated with Implementing Secure Flight, but Additional Actions Are Needed to Mitigate Risks Page: 2 of 68
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GAO
Accountability* Integrity* Reliability
Highlights
Highlights of GAO-09-292, a report to
congressional committees
Why GAO Did This Study
To enhance aviation security, the
Department of Homeland
Security's (DHS) Transportation
Security Administration (TSA)
developed a program-known as
Secure Flight-to assume from air
carriers the function of matching
passenger information against
terrorist watch-list records. In
accordance with a mandate in the
Department of Homeland Security
Appropriations Act, 2008, GAO's
objective was to assess the extent
to which TSA met the requirements
of 10 statutory conditions related
to the development of the Secure
Flight program. GAO is required to
review the program until all 10
conditions are met. In September
2008, DHS certified that it had
satisfied all 10 conditions. To
address this objective, GAO
(1) identified key activities related
to each of the 10 conditions;
(2) identified federal guidance and
best practices that are relevant to
successfully meeting each
condition; (3) analyzed whether
TSA had demonstrated, through
program documentation and oral
explanation, that the guidance was
followed and best practices were
met; and (4) assessed the risks
associated with not fully following
applicable guidance and meeting
best practices.
GAO recommends that DHS take
action to periodically assess the
performance of the Secure Flight
system's name-matching
capabilities and results. DHS
concurred with GAO's
recommendation.
View GAO-09-292 or key components.
For more information, contact Cathleen A.
Berrick at (202) 512-3404 or
berrickc@gao.gov; or Randolph C. Hite at
(202) 512-3439 or hiter@gao.gov; or Gregory
C. Wilshusen at (202) 512-6244 or
wilshuseng @gao.gov.AVIATION SECURITY
TSA Has Completed Key Activities Associated with
Implementing Secure Flight, but Additional Actions
Are Needed to Mitigate RisksWhat GAO Found
As of April 2009, TSA had generally achieved 9 of the 10 statutory conditions
related to the development of the Secure Flight program and had conditionally
achieved 1 condition (TSA had defined plans, but had not completed all
activities for this condition). Also, TSA's actions completed and those planned
have reduced the risks associated with implementing the program. Although
DHS asserted that TSA had satisfied all 10 conditions in September 2008, GAO
completed its initial assessment in January 2009 and found that TSA had not
demonstrated Secure Flight's operational readiness and that the agency had
generally not achieved 5 of the 10 statutory conditions. Consistent with the
statutory mandate, GAO continued to review the program and, in March 2009,
provided a draft of this report to DHS for comment. In the draft report, GAO
noted that TSA had made significant progress and had generally achieved
6 statutory conditions, conditionally achieved 3 conditions, and had generally
not achieved 1 condition. After receiving the draft report, TSA took additional
actions and provided GAO with documentation to demonstrate progress
related to 4 conditions. Thus, GAO revised its assessment in this report, as is
reflected in the table below.
GAO Assessment of Whether DHS Has Achieved the 10 Statutory Conditions, as of April 2009
Generally Conditionally Generally not
Statutory condition topic achieved achieved" achieved
System of Due Process (Redress) X
Extent of False-Positive Errors X
(Misidentifications)
Performance of Stress Testing and X
Efficacy and Accuracy of Search Tools
Establishment of an Internal Oversight X
Board
Operational Safeguards to Reduce Abuse X
Opportunities
Substantial Security Measures to Prevent
Unauthorized Access by Hackers
Effective Oversight of System Use and X
Operation
No Specific Privacy Concerns with the X
System's Technological Architecture
Accommodation of States with Unique X
Transportation Needs
Appropriateness of Life-Cycle Cost X
Estimates and Program Plans
Source: GAO analysis.
aFor conditionally achieved, TSA has completed some key activities and has defined plans for
completing remaining activities that, if effectively implemented as planned, should result in a reduced
risk of the program experiencing cost, schedule, or performance shortfalls.
Related to the condition that addresses the efficacy and accuracy of search
tools, TSA had not yet developed plans to periodically assess the performance
of the Secure Flight system's name-matching capabilities, which would help
ensure that the system is working as intended. GAO will continue to review
the Secure Flight program until all 10 conditions are generally achieved.IUnited States Government Accountability Office
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United States. Government Accountability Office. Aviation Security: TSA Has Completed Key Activities Associated with Implementing Secure Flight, but Additional Actions Are Needed to Mitigate Risks, report, May 13, 2009; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc300846/m1/2/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.