Fergie's Tech Blog

Congressman Ed Markey Wants Security Researcher Arrested

Ryan Singel writes on 27B Stroke 6:

Congressman Edward Markey (D-Mass.) wants the federal government to arrest security researcher Christopher Soghoian for creating the Northwest Airline Boarding Pass Generator, a site which lets anyone create a facsimile of a Northwest Airlines boarding pass. Soghoian hoped to spur Congress to look closely at the nation's aviation security policies, which he calls "security theater."

Instead, Markey, a member of the House Homeland Security committee, wants the site shut down and Soghoian arrested.

"The Bush Administration must immediately act to investigate, apprehend those responsible, shut down the website, and warn airlines and aviation security officials to be on the look-out for fraudsters or terrorists trying to use fake boarding passes in an attempt to cheat their way through security and onto a plane," Markey said in a statement. "There are enough loopholes at the backdoor of our passenger airplanes from not scanning cargo for bombs; we should not tolerate any new loopholes making it easier for terrorists to get into the front door of a plane."

Soghoian, a Ph.D. student at Indiana University, says he has never used one of the fake boarding passes, which are likely good enough to get someone past airline security, but not good enough to get you on the plane. He was waiting for clearance from lawyers at Indiana University before attempting to do so.

posted by Fergie @ 10/27/2006 02:18:00 PM