ABSTRACT
The Transport Security Administration (TSA) estimates that there are close to 1.8 million passengers passing through airports in the U.S. everyday. This makes airport security checks a vital part of security operations across the nation. The TSA oversees these operations under the directive of Homeland Security in collaboration with various airline companies to ensure optimal security for passengers and staff at airports. Several standardized security checks enhance security whist reducing crime rates in airports implemented by the TSA include use of Biometric Technology and Pre-Check programs. While these efforts are successful in reducing crime rates, there is little to show that the processes are efficient in terms of time and resource utilization (Pensinger, 2012). This paper seeks to determine the relationship between the efficiency and effectiveness of airport biometric security checks. The study takes place at Daytona Beach Airport because despite using a combination of security checks it relies on biometric technology to ensure the safety of passengers and staff alike.
Biometric technology is a system that measures and analyzes an individual’s biological features. It is a popular choice for many airports because it can capture many details at once. It not only provides information about a person, but also in the process of authentication. This information gives the airport staff information on the people visiting the airport and raises due attention towards people facing restrictions regarding the use of airports. Airport staff can identify a potential threat from the personal information stored in their database. Likewise, the TSA can monitor persons across the nation and identify threats before terrorist attacks occur.
BIOMETRIC TECHNOLOGY AND SECURITY FOR TRAVELERS IN DAYTONA BEACH AIRPORT
INTRODUCTION
Advancements in technology have influenced and improved the quality of life people have access to for centuries. The invention of aircrafts has revolutionized the transport industry and challenged the idea of how far one can travel given the limited amount of time one has. Today, people can move across borders and time zones with ease via airplanes, covering a long distance over a short period. The aviation industry is a major player in the transport industry long side the motor vehicle and cruise ship industry. Currently, air travel comes a close second in popularity after the land- based means of travel. Its popularity grew over the 20th century and in the 1970s, malicious acts posed a threat to airlines and flight passengers prompting the introduction of sky marshals to combat them. In 1972, hijackers threatened to fly a plane into a nuclear reactor (Southern Airways Flight 49) ushering a new age in airport security. After this incident, passengers and luggage became the new norm in airport security. However, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, security forces shifted their vigilance to airline operations. Airports are now at the center of the fight against terrorism due to their volume of traffic, human and cargo. Airport security remains a challenge to implement due to the complexity of airport operations. Due to the high number passengers and large volumes of cargo that they handle, security checks vary in complexity and scope to cater for this variety.
Airports raise security concerns in two fold, on one hand they are targets for terrorism attacks and on the other hand, they are entry and exit points for persons who commit acts of terrorism. Therefore, airport security focuses on two aspects, passengers and cargo. Passenger screening involves analyzing behavioral, psychological, biological and social information about individuals. This involves pat downs and using metal detectors to check for explosives and explosive components. In cases where a person is a suspect, interrogators question the said suspect while sniffer dogs are common in analyzing cargo. Often, airport security uses a combination of two or more methods to evaluate airport human and cargo traffic. Yet Stein (2010) notes that airports are not free from vulnerability.
Like other airports, Daytona Beach Airport (DBA) regards security with the utmost importance. With its corresponding growth in passenger traffic from 61,062 to 63,146, DBA has become a bigger target to potential acts of terrorism over the last year (GAO, 2007; 2011).This implies that the management has increased responsibilities to ensuring its current and potential passengers safety. This paper hopes to find out how biometric technology influences the airport’s security efficiency whilst maintaining its effectiveness. This way, the management team at the airport can identify where it is most vulnerable and update its security measures. The idea is to help DBA improve its service delivery and credibility to its passengers whilst maintaining a secure travel environment.
METHODS
Since the research takes place in the airport, the researcher will use both primary and secondary sources of data. The airport staff and regular clients i.e. Passengers who use the airport more than thrice a year will be the persons of interest for this study. Passenger identification is with full disclosure from the airport passenger database and with the permission of individual passengers. A standard invitation to participate in the study is sent to them via a short message service (SMS) so that they can confirm their participation. Thereafter, an email containing a questionnaire as well as the terms & conditions of the study is sent for their participation. The questionnaire has a combination of open-ended and closed questions collected within two days following the last known use of the DBA terminal. . This paper will analyze passenger wait time, checkpoint design considerations and offer suggestions on what areas need due improvement.
The same selection criteria applies to the airport staff approached for this study. Their selection is at the discression of the airport management. Each participating member of staff is assigned an anonymous identity and responses collected from internet to allow the staff to give their views without fear of reproach. Each department will have a member of staff participating in the study to give the data insight. However, because the study aims to improve on the service delivery of the airport, it uses secondary sources to gather additional data concerning security checks. It will compare data from the TSA database with regard to how other airports tackle the security issue. The TSA is a credible source of information since it is the oversight body for airport security in the nation. The collection of more information from other airports is important, because it allows for the comparison of processes. Airports all over the world have increased their efforts towards ensuring the security of travelers and luggage, as well as ensuring the safety of equipment such as airplanes and other facilities at the airport. The Daytona Beach Airport is one of the airports that have adopted the strategy as a way of ensuring that instances of terrorism do not occur at this airport. Aside from the US government putting in efforts to ensure other vulnerable places such as energy plants and tall buildings airports have been given due attention. Waugh (2004) posits that events such as these terrorist attacks have prompted the government and aviation authorities to seek policies and programs that support the counterterrorism strategies already in place.
While these methods encourage unbiased responses, it is important to note that the staff may be unwilling to give negative reviews about airport operations. This is because by giving negative reviews about the organizations that they work for, they may face sanctions in different forms imposed on them by the management of their organizations. Another limitation is that the employees and travelers may fail to give precise information concerning operations at their organizations. By not giving precise information, it becomes difficult to undertake effective analysis of data. Further, the result of the analysis may fail to give the accurate picture of the matter under investigation. In addition to that, this method of data collection may present challenges in relation to time. The time that the study is required to take is not sufficient for the collection of adequate data in other airports.
LITERATURE REVIEW
After the terrorist attacks that have targeted airports and airplanes, such as the attacks that in September 11tth in the year 2000, the matter of security at airports has gained attention. Park (2014) posits that the Daytona Beach Airport saw an increase in the number of passengers that travel through it from 61062 in the year 2013 to 63146 in 2014. One measure that the government and aviation authorities have adopted is the adoption of passenger screeners. The federal government uses passenger screeners to identify every passenger using airports in the United States. These screeners also assess the luggage carried by every passenger to ensure that they do not carry harmful or outlawed material into the aircraft.
Another measure is the use of detection systems for explosives. Terrorists have sneaked explosive substances into airplanes in recent history. Before, airports did not have such systems; therefore, it was easier for terrorists to board airplanes with explosive substances, without airport security detecting. Since the adoption of this measure, the number of passengers who have attempted to board planes with explosives has reduced significantly. Airport authorities in coordination with both state and federal agencies also undertake background checks on every passenger before they board the plane as well as when they arrive at the airport (Pensinger, 2012).
Undertaking background checks has been an effective way of determining the history of passengers, therefore providing information to marshals and law enforcement agencies on the risk that a passenger may pose by boarding an aircraft. When a passenger who has a questionable record arrives at the airport, the law enforcement officers get information on such a person and take the necessary measures to ensure that such individuals do not threaten the lives of other passengers.
As a preventive measure, aircrafts have changed the design and structure of the cockpit doors to minimize risk of plane hijackings. It is a fact that when malicious individuals hijack a plane, one of the first activities they undertake is to seize control of the plane. Currently, the doors of the cockpit are more hardened, therefore reducing the possibility of terrorists breaking through and reaching the pilot.
However, little research exists on the structure of airports as a possible area of vulnerability. Sumner (2007) shares that airports possess a number of characteristics that may make them exposed to terrorism. One of these characteristics is the ubiquity and extent of airports. The second characteristic is the accessibility of airports. It is imperative to note that most airports in the US designs and construction is done without the threat of terrorism in mind. More people use airports in the US more than ever, therefore making it increasingly difficult to undertake proper security checks. The third characteristic is the need for competitiveness and efficiency. Airline companies are in constant competition with each other. As such, they may refuse to implement security measures that may affect their business. The airline companies may also reject costly security measures (Pensinger, 2012). The federal government does not have adequate control over airports in the US. Therefore, they cannot force the owners, operators and the overseers of airports to implement their security recommendations. The different methods of controlling airports as well as the different owners make it difficult to standardize security measures. Therefore, the implementation of security measures becomes a complex matter (Pensinger, 2012).
Biometric technology
Biometric technology is an advanced innovation that allows for the measurement and analysis of individuals while giving details about the physiological and biological features unique to individuals. The users of biometric technology can store such information for later retrieval for the purposes of identifying an individual. This type of technology not only provides information about a person, but also in the process of authentication. The assumption is that the personal details that an individual issues to the airport authorities is valid information. Such information gives the airport staff information on the people visiting the airport, while raising due attention towards people facing restrictions regarding the use of airports. The airport staff can identify a potential threat from the personal information stored in their database.
ANALYSISData from Primary Research
The researcher went to the airport and collected information from 30 passengers, five employees each working for a different airline, five employees of the Daytona Beach Airport and two TSA members. On the matter of awareness concerning the use of biometric information, all the respondents answered to the affirmative. From the sample group, there was 100 percent knowledge on biometric technology use in airports across the US. However, not all of the respondents were aware of the use of such technology at the Daytona Beach Airport.
The responses given by the sample population on the question on whether they thought biometric technology would be effective at the Daytona Beach Airport were as follows:
On the question of whether the level of risk has reduced as a result of additional measures taken by airport management, the responses were as follows:
The respondents answered a question on whether they believed the methods currently in use by the Daytona Beach Airport were effective. The results were as follows:
Data Interpretation
The results in Table 1 indicate that 83% of the passengers approached to participate in the questionnaire responded of the questions. Of the total number of responding passengers, 19 had travelled through the DBA airport while 6 passengers were travelling through the airport for the first time. Twelve passengers from the 25 respondents travelled through DBA more than 3 times annually while two travelled at least once annually through DBA. Five respondents admitted to travel once every year through this airport. 60% of the passengers were contented with the practice of queuing at DBA, while 20% were not satisfied and complained of the queues moving slowly. The other 20% did not care about the DBA queuing practice. The same figures were posted for the question on whether they felt contented with the waiting duration at the airport security checkpoints. While 60% felt that the waiting times were sufficient, 20% felt that the waiting took too long, while 20% felt indifferent towards the airport’s waiting time.
In terms of ensuring security by screening all passengers using the airport, the Daytona Beach Airport does not have special lanes for use by elite passengers using chartered flights. As such, this group of passengers does not undergo the security checks that commercial flight passengers have to undergo. This is one weakness in the security system of the airport. The security manager at the Daytona Beach Airport highlighted the fact that the management has always faced challenges concerning the queues at the passengers’ screening checkpoints, saying that the staff has not been effective in monitoring and controlling the queues at security checkpoints. This negligence has exposed the organization to potential attacks.
It was impressive that all of the staff selected from the airlines and the TSA members identified for participation in this research work took part in the answering of the questions. However, only 60 percent of the employees of the Daytona Beach Airport participated in the survey. However, the number of respondents was adequate to provide information on the specific questions asked. One of the advantages of using biometric technology is that it is specific and only uses information unique to every individual. Airports collect biometric information through taking the fingerprints of passengers or by scanning their retina. After collecting such information, every time a person goes through an airport the airport staff can identify them with more accuracy compared to the traditional methods. Further, the biometric technology is effective in restricting access to specific places. As opposed to the keys and the private identification numbers that malicious persons can easily compromise, biometric technology is considerably difficult to compromise since a person cannot use personal information about another person(Sumner, 2007).
In collecting fingerprints, the airport authorities work in coordination with the law enforcement agencies that also have a database of people with past criminal records. With such information, airports can identify such people and take the necessary measures to ensure that they do not undertake illegal acts while at the airports. 40 % of all the respondents believe that biometric technology would be effective at the Daytona Beach Airport, while a quarter of the respondents think it will be effective, though it will not have a significant change on the operations of the airport. In order to deal with the issue of security at airports effectively, it is imperative that airport management invest in innovative technology that allows them to undertake a deeper scan of every individual who enters the airports. The traditional systems of restricting access are not enough to handle the sophisticated methods used by terrorists and other criminals to hide harmful or unauthorized substances into the precincts of the airport (Stein, 2010). The management teams have not given the due attention to innovations that can guarantee security at the airports. Such failure to invest in state of the art technology has exposed airports in the US to terrorist attacks. One of the technologies that have become necessary to adopt in airports is biometric technology. Twenty percent of all the respondents believe that the implementation of biometric technology at the Daytona Beach Airport will not have any effect on the operations at the airport while 15% of the respondents believe that the introduction of biometric technology at the airport would be strongly ineffective.
Seventy percent of the respondents believe that additional security measures have helped reduce the level of risk at airports. After the September 11 attacks, airports have bolstered security at the airports, therefore making passengers to feel more secure. This may contribute the increased faith in the security systems adopted by the management of airports. A further 20% feels that such measures have reduced the level of risk, albeit in negligible quantities. They continue to believe that terrorists can get around the security system. The 10% of respondents that feel that the additional security measures do not reduce the level of risk see the security gaps that exist in the system and believe that the management is not doing enough to protect passengers. Airports traditionally have issues with the level of access that they grant people. Airports put in considerable efforts towards restricting access to some areas by providing their employees with specially designed keys and company cards that allow access upon swiping. However, a malicious individual can steal this access equipment and either used within the precincts of an airport to perform heinous acts or copied for their regular use. It is worth noting that employee at the airports do not subjected to regular checks by the security personnel at the airport. As such, terrorists can find a lapse in the security system and exploit it to the detriment of innocent civilians (Waugh, 2004).
Slightly less than half (45%) of the respondents believe that the security measures adopted by the management of the Daytona Beach Airport are effective. 30 percent believe that these measures are slightly effective while the remaining 25% believe that the methods that the management of this airport are not effective enough to prevent attacks on the airport. Of concern is that a significant number of people do not believe that the security checks in place at the Daytona Beach Airport serve to protect them. The airport currently has security checks at every point from the point of entry into the airport. Despite the majority of the respondents believing in the security checks implemented by the airport security team as a measure that has improved security, it is imperative to recognize that more needs to be done to assure the passengers of the effectiveness of the methods employed at the airport. The airport can educate the public on the importance of performing certain checking procedures as well as adopt more effective security checks. As a measure to boost the security of airports and passengers, every airplane serving the public has an air marshal. An air marshal is a law enforcement officer in whose custody the safety of the plane. The air marshal is responsible for the safety of the passengers and cargo aboard a flight. In the event that an occurrence such as a hijacking takes place, the air marshal coordinates with the airport staff on the plane as well as other officers on the ground to determine the best method of dealing with the matter without putting the passengers at risk.
Ten of 25 passenger respondents shared that their carry-on baggage were not always screened at the security checkpoints. This negligence reduces the level of confidence that the passengers have in the security of the airport, because it is easy to board the plane with drugs and other illegal substances.
Conclusion
In the US alone, there are more than 14000 airports that undertake general aviation and more than 500 airports that undertake commercial flights. Because of this large number of airports and a significant increase in the number of people who use airports, airport authorities face numerous difficulty in monitoring airport terminals, navigation centers and centers of operational control. The adoption of biometric technology is a sure way of reducing the risk of attack on airports and airplanes by terrorists. By combining the functions that this technology offers, namely the identification of the individual and confirming these details against an existing database, airports can boost their security and prevent individuals with false identities from accessing the airport.
The importance of enhancing security at the Daytona Beach Airport gains traction from the increase in the risk of the occurrence of terrorist attacks that target airports and other places with significant human traffic. According to GAO (2011), terrorists prefer to attack places with high human traffic. A significant number of passengers also do not see the management of the airport, especially the security team, as implementing the security mandate effectively. From the responses, many passengers have valid questions concerning the steps that the organization is taking to assure passengers of their safety as well as the various ways that the airport security undertakes their checks. The laxity is evident in the responses of the passengers participating in the interview. Security at the airports is a matter of concern, with the growing threat of terror attacks. Among the measures that the Daytona Beach Airport management can invest in is the biometric technology, which ensures that airport staff has information concerning every passenger before they board the flights at the airport (Sumner, 2007). Having such information would be important in the assessment of the passengers travelling through the airport and help in increasing vigilance and reducing the risk of terror attacks as well as other types of attacks on the Daytona Beach Airport. Despite being a small airport compared to other airports like the LAX, the Daytona Beach Airport has more than 500 arrivals and departures on any day, with this figure going higher during holidays. In that light, it is imperative that the management of airports adopt state of the art technology in the detection of malicious people and harmful cargo before they harm passengers or destroy airport property.
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