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Congressman Calls for Arrest of Security Researcher

Christopher Soghoian writes "Yesterday, I published a tool that allows you to Create your own boarding pass for Northwest flights. This was an attempt to document the fragile and broken state of identity/security for domestic flights in the US. Today, Congressman Markey (D-Mass) has called for my arrest." From the ABC article: "'I don't want to help terrorists or help bad guys do bad things on airplanes, but what we have now is what we in the industry call security theater. It's made to make you think you're secure without actually making you secure,' Soghoian said. 'As a member of the academic research community, I consider this to be a public service.' Soghoian admits that he hasn't actually tried to use one of the boarding passes yet."

15 of 574 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Ummm. The First Amendment? by finkployd · · Score: 4, Funny

    Clearly you do not understand that we are at war. Anything that the Whitehouse defines as terrorism related or critical to our war effort is off limits to your constitutional whining. to suggest otherwise indicates that you clearly need some waterboarding, you filthy enemy combatant.

    Finkployd

  2. Impossible. by DAldredge · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is impossible. EVERYONE knows it is only those with a R after their name that wish to take away our rights and jail those they do not like.

  3. Re:More useless window dressing? by eln · · Score: 2, Funny

    Because everyone knows terrorists aren't smart enough to buy a ticket before attempting to blow up the airport. Obviously.

  4. Well if all else fails... by aapold · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe you could use it to flee the country...

    --
    "Waste not one watt!" - CZ
  5. Re:not likely by Hijacked+Public · · Score: 2, Funny

    And you definitely don't want a pissed off r. Dre knocking on your front door.

    --
    "Sacrifice for the good of The State" - The State
  6. Time for a touch-up by bigdavesmith · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well...his arrest wouldn't be completely bad. It would give me something to cover my 'Free Kevin' bumper sticker with.

  7. arrest him by blueadept1 · · Score: 2, Funny

    THIS MAN SHOULD BE ARRESTED IMMEDIATELY. I mean, publishing this as closed source? I'd be surprised if someone replying to me didn't call for him to be immediately thrown on death row!

  8. Re:Another politician... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    No, we have a Ted Kennedy and John Kerry though ;-)

  9. In Soviet Russia... by raehl · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...Security researcher calls for arrest of congressman?

    Maybe not this one, but I'm sure one of the other 434 of them have done something.

  10. How to deter suicide bombers: make 'em break law by Sloppy · · Score: 3, Funny

    If outlawing printing fake passes, is what it takes to keep terrorists from printing them, then we should do it. Terrorists wouldn't dare to break such a law, thus they won't be able to get boarding passes, thus they won't be able to fly, thus they won't be able to travel to my city, thus they won't be able to detonate a suicide bomb near me.

    I'm glad Markey has the sense to systematically think this threat though, and recommend a solution that will stop it at the source.

    And if anyone suggests that terrorist threats can only be countered by assuming that terrorists are willing to break TSA guidelines, then I suspect such a person of being an anarchist! This is a nation of laws!

    --
    As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
  11. works both ways by technicalandsocial · · Score: 3, Funny

    I don't know of a security researcher that doesn't feel that some, if not most, congressmen should be arrested.

  12. Re:Another politician... by RLiegh · · Score: 3, Funny

    >Politics is about number one,
    Could fool me, mostly it smells like number two.

  13. And the arrest will stop people from... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    ... taking a used boarding pass (from an airport garbage can, or your own), scanning it, then manipulating it? Oh snap, extra steps.

  14. Re:Ummm. The First Amendment? by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 2, Funny

    "x-rayed, bomb-sniffed, and patted down"

    Oh shit, you mean that full body cavity search WASN'T part of the normal screening process?

    --
    It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
  15. Re:Another politician... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    No, we have a Ted Kennedy and John Kerry though ;-)
    I'll print me a boarding pass to Cambodia.