Solutionary Minds - Your Information Security Blog Source

We cannot be perfect. We can only be smart. We try to follow the rules and be as thorough as we can, and we hope for some luck.

I grew up as a self-proclaimed cautious lad. Like most kids, I got in my share of trouble, but less so than most of my peers. 10 years of doing mostly systems engineering in the federal government, coupled with the safety and security training I received there, served to engrain my paranoia. Sometimes the paranoia is unjustified, and I feel foolish. Yet, good peripheral vision and situational awareness enable me to see things many people do not.
I got on a flight the other day. As I waited in the line at the counter to check my bag, the guy in front of me set his wallet down on the counter. Then, he bent over and wrote out two luggage tags and clipped them onto his bags. His wallet sat on the counter for a good 65-70 seconds, and even without my glasses I could see an American Express card, and what I am pretty sure was a Citibank Visa. The wallet could have disappeared in seconds.

At the airport, I made it through Security with no problem, but as I walked toward my gate, I noticed an open door on the other side of security. As I walked past, I glanced into the open door, and realized I could see what looked to be a break-room. Anyone could have walked in the front door, through the break room, and out the back door, completely bypassing security. I got the strangest look from the TSA agent when I asked him if they meant that room to be open on both sides, but he did go into the room - presumably to close the door.

Read more of my latest Security Week article here.