The role of intelligence in aviation security

The role of experience in melodic phrase warrantorAccording to the Centre for the Study of intelligence (A unit beneath the linked States Central Intelligence Agency, CIA), civil aviation, unlike defence (military) aviation, has mostly been in the centre of aviation security concerns for obvious reasons (Raffel, 2007). First, civil aviation has a high- cherish addition (Human capital, goods, property and wealth) which makes it attractive for execrables and terrorist. Ordinarily, high value asset should non, in itself, constitute a severe security threat, barely signifi commodet concentration of high value asset attracts crime (Wheeler, 20057). In 60s and 70s, some aircraft were hijacked in the united state solely for the purpose of collecting ransom (Poole, 20089). Subsequently, an increase s hijacking (for ransom) approaching led to the formulation of various aviation security policies and programs especially in America and Europe. So, criminals may seek economic benefit ar gon likely to contend an aviation unit for that reason. On the former(a) hand, terrorist seek economic loss through massive collateral damage. But, not all aviation security attacks are economically actuate. For example, 9/11 attacked was suspected to shake off been a socio-politically motivated. The severity of the attached is exacerbated by the massive benevolent loss. It rump be assumed that root figured the human loss as part of the objectives of their attack. Another example of massive human capital loss was caused by the attacks on Rome and capital of Austria airport in 1985 (Raffel, 2007). Then, it may be argued that criminals ( especially terrorist) in their bid to make cynical statements and increase the severity of their attacks take advantage of the high human traffic associated with civil aviation to cause massive human loss. The CIA calls this massacre ibid. Moreover, unlike defence aviation, traditional civil aviation systems (aircraft, personnel, airports) are n ot intrinsically designed with self-defence mechanisms, making them pr sensation to (frequent) attacks. Given the vulnerability of civil aviation to security attacks, aviation security and intelligence discussion focuses on civil aviation and its complex inter-relations makes multi-perspective discourse.Aviation Security Intelligence Information Gathering, Sharing and AnalysisCombating crimes and averting potential criminal and terrorist attacks is underpinned on well-versed misgiving of the goals and resources of criminal and terrorist groups. Wheeler (2005 37-38 ) explained intelligence procedure as mainly covert assembly of tuition related to criminals and terrorist, a deep and broad centralized analysis of the teaching and a drawing a conclusion against previously known fact nearly the gang ( terrorist and criminal). Doing this, security operation testament not only educate a foreknowledge of terrorist but also be able to predict (to a tier of accuracy) their next move. However, there is an ongoing discussion on how to opera hat to deal with security intelligence in civil aviation which according to Raffel CIA, (2007) is drawn-out, confusing and inconclusive. One can quickly associate and gain better understanding of Raffels assertions from the analysis of civil aviation and security threats previously discussed above. The header remains clear How do we deal with knowledge of a proposed attack? Answering this question requires a system wide, multi-stakeholder analysis which captures the views of the generateenger, regulators (government) and the air duct operators. Who should know what and when?Airport and airline operators do feel that up to date and appropriate teaching manduction could serve up them plan and handle security issues. In practical sense, vigilance can help reduce (if not eliminate) security take chancess. But in reality, most airline and airport operator do not have access to accurate, meticulously collected and analyzed i nformation. Mostly, the available information or intelligence are as well broad that they very difficult (perhaps, impossible) to employ in a specific airport or scheduled shoot. This set-back is a flaw of the data capturing address data is acquired on an informal basis instead of an organized, process driven method (Raffel, 2007). Besides the incongruity of available information and intelligence, there is a cautiousness on the source of such information. Technology has made all kind of information readily available and as such the accuracy of information and believability of the source cannot be ordinarily ascertained. This is a dilemma for information analyst, including airport security analyst. Emphasis is placed on the source general information on the public domain and confidential and sensitive intelligence which stealthy sourced and accumulated. As expected, classified intelligence are restricted, seldom available for open propagation. Security agencies maintain the diss emination of such information and place a strict need-to know requirement. In a separate argument, Wheeler (2005 33) described the inhibition of information sharing as a culture, a phenomenon which characterized every human endeavour. How then would airport and airline operator be able access the untold needed information (intelligence) given the strict rules on the availability? The absence of an information sharing framework is a potential bump factor in aviation security intelligence.The contest about privacy is another issue with aviation security. In 2004, National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States an inquiry on 9/11 attacks recommended that the US president determines the guideline for information sharing among government agencies, protecting the privacy of the individual of whom they share information about (Wheeler 2005 132). Perhaps, this recommendation may have been suggested by the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA) of 1980 which ensures the protection of protecting national security while also protecting the rights of the suspected individual. (Berman and Flint, 20033)Wheeler (200532) identified a missing link between information gathering and information sharing which can cause a drawback in effective policing. The covert method of gathering and analyzing intelligence requires that these two phases (information gathering and sharing) makes this interconnection necessary. Terrorist and criminals can capitalize on the difference between knowledge centres in while planning for and executing attacks on their targets. Inquiries into phratry 11 showed that the incidence can be blamed on the intelligence failure the government failed to make good use of prior information it had gathered and failed to utilize available information sharing framework. Misguided targeting is another weak point of intelligence gathering. Accumulating vast amount of information (of which some could be irrelevant) without exclusive suspicion will not catch terrorists and criminals instead it could make worse this Berman and Flint ( 20032)Critique of Aviation Security Intelligence Programs forwards September 11, 2001, aviation security intelligence was cantered around baggage application (Poole, 2008 17 Raffel 2007). But the 9/11 attack has set up a sweet atmosphere The need to identify precarious riders (on a flight) and persons (within the perimeters of an airport) so as to nip potential attack in the bud before they are hatched. Before now, there have doubts on the effectiveness of these intelligence program (British Medical Journal 2010), increasing the outcry after the failed Christmas day bombing attack. The question is how did the terrorist (Abdul Mutallab) pass through the walls of screening? Clearly, terrorist organizations are keenly abreast of the trends of aviation security and they are in a relent littlely pursuit to circumvent it. KhaleejTimes.com (2010) claimed that the little achiever of Christmas day attack should be blamed on failure of human side of intelligence, suggesting the need to revisit the framework of intelligence program, if they will ever prosper. calculating machine Assisted Passengers Pre-screening System (CAPPS )CAPPS (also Computer Assisted Passengers Screening CAPS) was first introduced in 1996, by an airline, as temporary measure to assist in riders bag screening for explosives. Over time, it was reviewed. The later version (CAPPS II) was modified to classify all passengers into various class according to a risk assessment score allotted to the passenger. CAPPS II, depending on experimental data algorithm from various database (government and commercial), has a double sided central focus scrutinizing high-risk passengers at the same time as reducing the agony of low risk (innocent) passengers. Like the suspended US Defences Total Information Awareness program, it is designed at profiling innocent people. Should the TSA invest so much on profiling (innocent) people who do not pose any security threat? In addition to initial public scepticism about the effectiveness of this profiling program, there is a growing repugn over the appropriateness and the privacy and security risks of such systems (EPIC 2007a). In 2003, TSA started the Aviation Security Records (ASSR) an information database containing financial and transactional data as well as almost limitless data from other public and private information centre which the TSA said it will allow government, public and private entities to access the records. The unrestricted access to the database raises concern about the privacy and the security of the database. Is it possible for criminals and terrorist to obtain seemingly classified information, under false pretence? How passengers can contest and redress risk score is another missing details in the program.Secure Flight Program and the Terrorist honour listSoon after the TSA discarded the later version Computer Assisted Passenger Pre -screening System (CAPPS II) in August 2004, it started the Secured Flight Program which was aimed to match up passengers information contained in the Passenger Name Record (PNR) data by digestd by passenger and the state maintained watch list. The program transcended beyond evidently matching yells on two list to a complex system of profiling persons in order to estimate the security risk which they pose (DHS, 2004). Although TSA performed test for the Secure Flight Program, the program faced some criticism which lead to its temporary suspension. According to GAO (2006), at point when the secure flight program was scheduled to commence in September 2005, it was faulted with an inconclusive risk assessment and 144 known vulnerabilities.TSA has a United State legislation back mandate to keep a watch list of names of persons alleged to constitute a risk of air piracy or terrorism or a threat to airlines or passenger safety. The agencys watch list is categorized into two no fly a nd selectee lists (EPIC, 2007). The airlines collaborate with TSA on this in that when a passenger checks in for a flight, they match the passengers identity with the record. Should the passengers name matches any on the no fly list, he or she is tagged a threat, and is refused to embark on the flight. Not only that, TSA is notified at once and a law enforcement officer is called to detain and interrogate the person. In case the persons identity is matches any name on the select list, the person is tag S and he or she receives stricter security screening. But, what if there is a case of mistaken identity when a person name is mistakenly matched with those on the watch list? Would an innocent passenger be disallowed from boarding a flight despite his constitution guaranteed right to travel? there are Tens of thousands of application of persons seeking redress for been wrongly mismatched (EPIC, 2007b)Multi-perspective Evaluation of Aviation Security intelligence ProgramThis section will attempt to provide an analytic and multi-dimensional view of the role of security intelligence in aviation, exploring the economic, technological and social perspectives leaving out the legal and human right issues.Economic ( craft) perspectives cultured aviation cannot be disconnected from business. This is self evident in that the labor is deregulated to encourage capitalists who seek profits. And the pursuit of profit is determined by the complexities of the aviation industry which include the impact of the aviation security intelligence on industrys economics that cannot be underestimated. An instance is the aftermath of September 11 which led to a overmaster turn of aviation business. The industry recorded a steep decline of passengers booking (of about seventy four percent), several cancelled flights, reduction in route by some airline operator and consequently, loss of jobs, reduced share prices, and other business losses (Morrell and Alamdari, 20021). This change in t he aviation business atmosphere was caused from the non-fly reaction from passengers. Passengers reaction cannot be overlooked because it is an indication that passengers (like other consumers) are capable of intelligence sourcing and sharing (Haugtvedt et al, 2004 283) and responding based on their analysis. Whether analysis of passenger is accurate is another subject entirely. Given the extent at which technology have increase the flow of information and the loop holes in information security, one cannot assume that sensitive security information cannot (would not) slip into the hand of the passenger (that is the set of air traveller) and the consequent passengers reaction and its ripple effect on aviation business (and industry in general) cannot be predicted. There is another dimension to this Terrorist knowing fully that passengers can react to fear factor just as they did after September 11 may explore this scenario and the weakness of existing information sharing framework to pursue an economic combat strategy simply by sparking panic within the system.Another side of the economics of aviation security intelligence is the massive and undisclosed cost of pursing an intelligence system. Poole (20082) argued that similar to other similar human endeavour where choices are to be made based resource constraints, aviation security is faced with the challenge of making a close on how to invest scares resource for maximum benefit. As anticipated, this makes decision making pretty difficult, and decision are characterized with frequent trade-offs. And if such trade -offs are not properly analyzed or hinged on wrong assumptions, the eventual decision may contribute to insecurity (KhaleejTimes.com, 2010). Based on this premise, Poole (20082) developed a risk assessment framework for making choices as related to aviation security. Another effect of classified information is that the actual cost of aviation strategy is difficult to determine, especially if the costi ng model is extended to account to include themes like cost benefit analysis (Poole, 20083).Social perspectivesPresent Focus is emphasized on international flight overlooking (or disregarding the possibility) internally originated threats like those of London bombing. This leaves one to assume that some intelligence campaigns are based on prepossess and ostensible conclusions. Proponent of this view may not be entirely wrong may not fault the assumption that international flights poses higher degree of aviation risk. Social (racial, and phantasmal) discrimination concerns became more prominent when the United States government announced compulsory screening for all passenger from 14 countries (mostly Islamic) after the failed Christmas day bombing attempt (Zakaria, 2010). One can argue that intelligence efforts are socially biased (Persico, 20021472-73 Knowles and Hernandez-Murillo, 2004 959 -60)Political perspectivesPoole (20082) insists that changes in aviation security policies are motivated political imperatives to reassure frightened population of that the nations air space is still very safe. For example in the United State, through legislation, the government established the transportation system Security Administration- an institution with complete responsibility for the nations transportation security but a huge part of its budget is committed to aviation security as directed by legislation. In a move to increase intelligence gathering, Attorney General Ashcroft approved security (FBI) agents to attend and monitor political events and religious which might serve as hubs for terrorist activities Berman and Flint (2003 YY), showing the an interconnect but these themes Politics and Security Intelligence.Technological Issues Open access Information and Biometric DataThe debate on information sharing is incomplete without examining the impact of technology. One of such argument is the openness of sensitive information to the public. For instance, Airp ort Law Enforcement Agencies Network (ALEAN) information-sharing groups financial backing airports do make available information and open source material which is intended for aviation security personnel (Raffel CIA, 2007). Mindful the fact that terrorist and criminal can take advantage of the easy and open accessibility of electronic information system, the reliability of this method remains shaky. In another campaign, there is an advocacy to supplement on technology to help strengthen the various passengers profiling program through the inclusion of biometric data (KhaleejTimes.com, 2010). Biometric data are so unique so much that incidence of identity mismatch is almost unlikely (if not impossible). Although, how this new method will be adopted remains on clear, but it shows a promise of resolving some of flaws in existing program.SummaryThe drawback in information sharing has rendered most aviation security intelligence initiatives less effective. The present demands for int elligence is expected to increase can become more effective information sharing. In spite of the doubts that present regime of security intelligence on the effectiveness, they are building blocks for the future of aviation security). It remains unbeatable that intelligence affects the aviation security and the aviation industry in general, and that the various intelligences actions and inactions can shape the future. This review has attempted to identify various linkages between these arguments and highlight possible path for future discourse.