[Infowarrior] - Airport Scanners Can Store, Transmit Images

[Richard Forno]

(Since there'd be the likelihood of using such images post-incident,  
for forensics purposes it makes sense that these devices would store  
images for SOME duration of time.  As such I never bought the fed's  
story on image-storing. --rick)


Threat Level Privacy, Crime and Security Online
Airport Scanners Can Store, Transmit Images
	• By Kim Zetter
	• January 11, 2010  |
	• 1:13 pm  |
	• Categories: Surveillance

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/01/airport-scanners/

Contrary to previous public statements made by the Transportation  
Security Administration about fully-body airport scanners, the devices  
do have the ability to store and transmit images, according to  
documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union.
The documents, which include technical specifications and vendor  
contracts, indicate that the TSA requires vendors to provide equipment  
that can store and send images of screened passengers when in testing  
mode, according to CNN, which viewed the documents.

The TSA has stated publicly on its web site, in videos and in  
statements to the press that images cannot be stored on the machines  
and that images are deleted from the scanners once an airport operator  
has examined them. The administration has also insisted that the  
machines are incapable of sending images.

But a TSA official acknowledged to CNN that the machines do have these  
capabilities when set to “test mode.”

The official said these functions are disabled before the machines are  
delivered to airports and that there is no way for screeners in  
airports to put the machines into test mode to enable the functions.  
The official, however, would not elaborate on what specific  
protections, if any, are in place to prevent airport personnel from  
putting the machines in test mode.

The TSA also asserts that the machines are not networked, so they  
cannot be accessed by hackers.