TSA Suffers Online Security Breach

By Lori Fullbright, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- A recent security breach gave would-be attackers most of the information they would need to get past security checkpoints at our country's airports.

It has some people asking, "If the U.S. government cannot protect its documents online, who can?"

The documents from the Transportation Security Administration explains which items are not likely to be searched at the airport, even how to make badges for Air Marshals.

The government put it online, with all the secret stuff blacked out but, pretty much anyone can "un-black" that information with just a few clicks of a mouse.

It only makes sense for our nation's security measures at airports to be secret, especially since 9/11.

When TSA put this document online, all the secrets that were blacked out or redacted became public.

A simple click on select text, then highlighting the area, copying it and pasting it to a notebook and it's all instantly visible

Now, things like badges for CIA agents are available to the world, including terrorists.

Gavin Manes of the Tulsa computer forensics company Avansic said, "you can't delete digital information. That's the truth. If you don't believe that, don't use a computer. No matter what you do, if you create it, it won't go away."

Remember the baseball-steroid investigation that was subject of a federal grand jury? Some of those documents were also posted online with the confidential testimony redacted but it was also revealed.

Manes, holding a black permanent marker, said "When you're looking to redact documents, the honest answer is this device right here is the only way to safely redact it, but, you still have to be careful with this because you can mess up,"

If you cross out information on the original with a black permanent marker, someone can still hold it to the light and read it.

So, copy the document, cross out the parts you want hidden, then scan the document into the computer.

This problem is only going to get worse as all kinds of companies and agencies store documents digitally.

"How are they handling your medical records, how is this new healthcare issue going to be dealt with. If a healthcare organization publishes a list of who they've helped with black boxes on it, my information is clearly out there," Manes said.

There is a computer program that truly redacts information but it's 17 steps and very complicated.

This problem has happened to Facebook, AT&T and now, TSA.

What makes this security breach even worse is the NSA sent a memo out three years ago, telling government agencies how to properly protect secret information online, but, clearly, it wasn't followed.