Aviation Security: Measures for Testing the Impact of Using Commercial Data for the Secure Flight Program Page: 4 of 29
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for passenger prescreening. TSA also expects that by automating the
prescreening process and applying consistent procedures for comparing
passenger data against the expanded terrorist watch list, Secure Flight will
reduce the number of false positive matches against the terrorist watch list
as compared with the current process.
In preparing to take over passenger prescreening from domestic air
carriers, TSA has begun initial Secure Flight testing to determine the
ability of Secure Flight to effectively compare passenger-provided
information contained in air carrier reservation systems against the
expanded watch list in order to identify individuals known or reasonably
suspected to be engaged in terrorism.4 TSA expects that results from these
tests will be available in February 2005. In addition, TSA plans to conduct
a concept test to determine if the use of commercial data can improve the
matching of passenger-provided information against the expanded watch
list by identifying individuals who were incorrectly identified as being on a
terrorist watch list (referred to as false positives) or who attempted to
avoid detection by disguising their identity (referred to as false negatives).5
The commercial data concept test is also intended to determine if the
accuracy of passenger-provided data contained in passenger records can
be verified using commercial data.' In January 2005, TSA issued a request
for proposals in order to obtain a contractor to conduct commercial data
concept testing. TSA expects to award the contract in late February 2005.
To determine the effectiveness of using commercial data, TSA developed
initial measures for commercial data concept testing, such as the overall
percentage of passenger-provided records from which identity can be
verified using commercial data, and plans to refine the measures
throughout the testing process. TSA expects to obtain the results of
commercial data concept testing in April 2005. On the basis of these test
results, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and TSA plan to
4These reservation systems contain detailed information about an individual's travel on a
particular flight, including information provided by the passenger when making a flight
reservation. Such information can include (1) passenger name, (2) reservation date,
(3) travel agency or agent, (4) travel itinerary information, (5) form of payment, (6) flight
number, and (7) seating location.
5The purpose of the concept test is limited to identifying the utility of using commercial
data in improving the effectiveness of comparing passenger information against the
terrorist watch list in a test environment.
6To obtain data for Secure Flight testing, TSA issued an order in November 2004 requiring
domestic airlines to provide passenger records for the month of June 2004.GAO-05-324 Aviation Security
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United States. Government Accountability Office. Aviation Security: Measures for Testing the Impact of Using Commercial Data for the Secure Flight Program, report, February 23, 2005; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc303009/m1/4/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.