New applications halted for airport 'fast pass'

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Aug 5, 2008 | by William Brand

A misplaced laptop at San Francisco International Airport containing more than 33,000 names of new applicants to the government's "fast pass" airport security lanes program has caused the Transportation Security Administration to halt applications nationwide pending an investigation.

The halt does not affect the nearly 200,000 frequent travelers who already hold Clear system security cards, the TSA said.

Allison Beer, a spokeswoman for Verified Identity Pass Inc., the New York-based private contractor that issues the cards, said late Tuesday that the laptop has been found.

"It wasn't stolen. It was found in a filing cabinet," Beer said. "We don't know what happened, but we do know that the data on the laptop has not been compromised. No one had logged in on the computer between the time it was reported lost on July 26 and when we found it today."

However, TSA spokesman Nico Melendez said the investigation will continue and the suspension on new applications will remain in effect nationwide.

"They are saying it's been found," Melendez said. "But all I can say is that at this point the TSA is reviewing the information surrounding the case."

The laptop, which apparently contained unencrypted data, including applicants' driver's license numbers, date of birth and other passport data -- but not credit card information -- was reported missing to SFO authorities July 26 and to the TSA on July 28, Beer said.

Beer said the company has been receiving about 1,000 new applications a week to its Clear program. Clear is a company brand name for the government's Registered Traveler program, designed to let frequent travelers move quickly through airport security lines. Clear cards are issued following a security check of each applicant.

Applicants can apply online and at kiosks at 19 airports around the country.

The program has been especially popular in the Bay Area. All three major Bay Area airports -- SFO, Oakland International and Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International -- participate. But across the country, uptake is not as solid, although the number of airports signing on has been growing.

Several companies have contracted with the government to administer the program, but Verified Identity Pass is the major provider, Beer said. The company said the laptop was protected by two levels of passwords.

But the TSA said computers used in the program must have all data encrypted to make it impossible for anyone to recover it.

"Verified Identity Pass will not be allowed to enroll new applicants until completion of an independent audit verifying that it no longer uses unencrypted computers," the TSA said in a statement.

Contact Staff Writer William Brand at bbrand@bayareanewsgroup.com.