Unredacted TSA Manual Leaked Online

(CBS)  It was a security breach and a big embarrassment for the Transportation Security Administration. A secret manual that tells airport screeners around the country how to do their jobs somehow wound up on line for all the world to see.

It detailed who should be screened, how often bags are checked for explosives, how to deal with CIA agents traveling with high-value intelligence assets - even provided images of various special identification cards, as CBS News correspondent Bob Orr reports.

The breach reveals some of the government's most sensitive aviation security secrets. A 93-page manual prepared for federal airport screeners shows samples of law enforcement and official credentials - federal air marshals, CIA officers, and members of Congress - IDs which criminals or terrorists could copy.

The document also reveals that travelers from a dozen countries including Cuba, North Korea, Somalia and Yemen are always subjected to extra screening.

The Transportation Security Administration says the security playbook, prepared in May 2008, is out of date and sensitive methods have been updated six times since then, adding in a statement that "TSA is confident that screening procedures currently in place remain strong."

Full unredacted document (download .zip file)

Still, the TSA never meant for this information to be public. Each page of the report carries a notice reading, "WARNING: This record contains sensitive security information ... No part of this record may be disclosed to persons without a 'need to know.'"

The TSA says the whole report "improperly posted" by the agency on a government jobs site -
with redactions.

But the redaction consisted of black boxes added to a PDF document that are simple to remove. Anyone with some basic knowledge of working with Adobe Acrobat could have removed them with a few keystrokes.

"I mean clearly this was a rookie mistake," said Wired Magazine editor John Abell. "So let's just call this a very early Christmas present to the kinds of people that traffic this kind of secret information."

Some of the compromised information is just routine common sense: "An on-duty airport-assigned LEO (law enforcement officer) ... may be cleared ... without undergoing screening."

But, other guidance may be less intuitive. For example, searches for explosive residue are not required for wheelchairs, prosthetic devices and orthopedic shoes.

The TSA is investigating and says it takes the failure seriously. But, critics say with aviation a known terrorist target, it's a little late to get serious.

[RememberPoitiers]

"I examined the 12 countries to always be screened, and found it stunning that one seemingly obvious country was not one of the 12 represented. Saudi Arabia. I guess all the terrists(sic) moved out of that country already."

In geopolitics, the truth is that which disturbs the greatest number the most.

The Treasury Department has obfuscated that fact by calling the fourth largest holder of Treasury securities "oil exporters" by mixing in non-Islamic states from South America and elsewhere. Though the governments of the following nation-states claimed to be "secular", Turkey, Singapore, Philippines (coup possible) and Malaysia hold a total near 112 billion. The remaining (mixed) holders of the debt have something close to 156 billion. Can we be sure that the above omission was not at the behest of certain creditors holding a critical percentange of the debt?

He who pays the piper calls the tune.

[gilsclubs]

I examined the 12 countries to always be screened, and found it stunning that one seemingly obvious country was not one of the 12 represented. Saudi Arabia. I guess all the terrists moved out of that country already.

Another portion I found interesting, was the procedures as it pertains to Amber Alert notifications and the handling therein. As I thought about it, and remembered a story about TSA being considered to monitor rail travel, I realized that we now have a national police force / monitoring system in place. "Your pazzports please"

The rise of this national police force was subtle; they being a unified force to replace what were once, glorified security guards. (no offense to any former security check personnel, but this is sort of how it was sold to us, after all, remember 9/11) Now, I?ve got the kindly grandmother who happens to notice I?m sweating a lot. ?Check ze alerts.?

While I'm not glad that this document has the potential to fall into the hands of those that might want to harm us, as I am confident that procedures HAVE BEEN changed since that version (albeit miniscule, but we'll never know); I am glad that the American people can be made more aware of our ever increasing surveillance society.

[Windwalker_Oldwolf]

Damn...I wanted a copy of the manual!

[bflaska]

I didn't get through all of their top secret document. If you did, was there a section on how TSA personnel are to pull terminally ill cancer patients out of their wheelchairs and drop them on the floor of the airport? And how not to apologize? That's what they did in Hawaii to a friend of mine, on her way to the hospital for the last time. I just want to be certain the TSA personnel were following the absolute letter of their prescribed duties and really, really protecting national security. Otherwise, I'm afraid they showed themselves to be inept and callous bunglers.

[BeckyAndy]

Regardless if the TSA Manual is out of date, I think it is irresponsible of CBS or any other media outlet to have the manual available for viewing.

[payasyougo]

We should eliminate all Republican created government organizations and only live with Democrat created government organizations.

One is better than the other, right?

As long as comments show the sheeple keep infighting, this government run amuck will continue to rob our grandchildren.

[nowhiningallowed]

Was this a breach or a veiled attempt at revealing policy which some in the current administration prefer be dissolved?

[nextgenman09]

The TSA. Another Conservitarded Big Government Failure.

[RatPackSixGun]

Conservitarded BIG GOVERNMENT failure?!? Kind of like the bloated pig expansion that's happening under the majority Dummahcrat leadership now?

Yeah..big government is a conservative problem. If airline pilots had been armed prior to 9/11 as had been tabled previously and quashed by limp wristed liberal bureaucrats in Washington, none of us would even be talking about the TSA these days. Idiots.

[newsterl]

The Transportation Security Administration says the security playbook, prepared in May 2008, is out of date and sensitive methods have been updated six times since then,"


LOL yeah sure they have, but we know better don't we kids?!

[gkygky]

I saw a video on YouTube about a guitar player whose guitar was destroyed by
United Airlines. That musician wrote a song about that, and made it into a
video. He got compensated for his loss, but he is only one out of a
countless number of musicians who have been victimized when flying with
their instruments! Those instruments are priceless to those musicians, who
look for the right guitar, bass, trumpet, sax! It doesn't have to be a
historic violin to be irreplaceable!

TSA in the USA should be embarrassed about this! We can only hope that
worldwide their colleagues are no worse! The airlines don't have much to
brag about in terms of their customer service, as far as accommodating
musicians who travel with their instrument!

The abuse of traveling musicians, and the general public has to be exposedm shamed and eventually stopped!

Just because the governments around the world have bigger issues to worry
about, that doesn't mean that these TSA, Airlines, traveling musicians and related issues should be swept under the rug!

I applaud any media organization which keeps TSA and Airlines on their toes, and I'd love to know that such reporting is not limited to USA only! These problems are International, and not just US!