Security Flaws Identified in Port Worker ID Plan

The Department of Homeland Security plan that would require the nation’s port workers to carry tamper-proof photo ID cards is under fire, as investigators have found the program has a number of security problems.

The Associated Press is reporting Homeland Security Inspector General Richard Skinner announced late last week his review of prototype systems at participating US ports found a number of vulnerabilities in the program, known as the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program (TWIC).

“The weaknesses, some of which were deemed high risk, included instances of false positives in detecting which workers might pose a security risk as well as cases in which the system inadvertently disclosed sensitive personal information inappropriately,” AP says.

The Transportation Security Administration, which runs the program, told AP in a written response it expected to encounter some problems with its test program, appreciated the input and was now working to fully address concerns.

“It was acknowledged in discussions with (Skinner) that a prototype system will always need further enhancements and additional work to ready it for production,” wrote TSA deputy assistant secretary Robert Jamison.

AP says Skinner recommended TSA create a formal office to oversee TWIC security to ensure weaknesses are fixed.

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