Backscatter X-Ray Machines Easily Fooled

Pinckney writes "A paper by Leon Kaufman and Joseph W. Carlson in the Journal of Transportation Security asserts that x-ray backscatter machines are not very effective (PDF) even in their intended role. While carelessly placed contraband will be detected, the machines have glaring blind-spots and have difficulty distinguishing explosives from human tissue. As they write, 'It is very likely that a large (15–20 cm in diameter), irregularly-shaped, cm-thick pancake [of PETN explosive] with beveled edges, taped to the abdomen, would be invisible to this technology. ... It is also easy to see that an object such as a wire or a boxcutter blade, taped to the side of the body, or even a small gun in the same location, will be invisible.'"

Comments

Re:The next generation...

[MoonBuggy]

Thing is, we don't even really need "a better way of detecting terrorists". The incidence of terrorism against airlines is practically a rounding error and as we've seen, the TSA has been unsuccessful in preventing the (very few) attempted bombings in the recent past yet the attacks still failed. If we removed the theatre and replaced it with nothing, maybe keeping a few basic and effective measures to discourage obvious attacks, we'd be better off, and the risk would still be negligible. If we replaced it with something actually effective then that'd theoretically be even better, but most effective methods are expensive, invasive or both and I'm unconvinced that they would be worthwhile considering how low the risk is.

And in related development

[hey!]

The Boston Globe reported today that a the mutilated body of a teen boy found last month in a Boston suburb probably fell out of the wheel well of an airplane he is believed to stowed away on. Several articles of his clothing were found scattered along the flight's approach to Boston's Logan Airport.

Earlier this year in Japan a body was discovered in the wheel well of a flight originating at New York's JFK. Investigation later revealed that the unfortunate hadn't stowed away in New York, but in Lagos Nigeria *two months earlier*.

What does this tell you about all this body scanning hoopla? We're building a fortress that sports a fearsome looking portcullis but has open windows on the ground floor.