Continuing my interest in identifying computer device (cell phone) MAC addresses thru some near field communication detection method for intelligence purposes. My blog entries about Safeway and also Seattle are related to this interest.
The following from this link: at Homeland Security which explains the system. DHS/TSA/PIA-037 August 3, 2012 Privacy Impact Assessment
for
"TSA’s Automated Wait Time (AWT) system utilizes information broadcasted from Bluetooth®1-enabled devices carried by individuals in the general checkpoint queuing area to calculate wait times and deploy resources, as appropriate, to reduce delays in checkpoint queues. In the interest of transparency to the public, this Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is conducted pursuant to Section 222 of the Homeland Security Act to assess privacy risk from the AWT system. In order to ensure that AWT systems sustain and do not erode privacy protections, TSA developed and implemented processes that give effect to the Fair Information Practice Principles while generating statistical data used for improving checkpoint operations."
This only discusses Bluetooth but Wifi world just as well to reveal MAC Address and most people probably have Wifi turned on. I normally travel with Bluetooth off.
Just waiting in line? I bet they cover the entire airport. Especially after the recent incident. One airport I have been at had a bridge toll booth type of entry for traffic. Stand-off defense capability dictates detection at the farthest range to increase defense/offense ability.
Blip Systems is a provider of Automated Wait Time Systems
Amor Group, a division of Lockheed is also a provider of AWTS. The link gives fascinating info on what they provide and to whom. It is called the Amor Passenger Tracking System.
I have an App on my iPhone called Passbook. I tried it once for an airline ticket but when I got to the gate I actually used a paper ticket boarding pass. Forgot how it worked. Looking at the App it appears to be a scanning App for barcodes. I think it may go beyond that and you can see where it goes if you touch "Apps for Passbook" at the bottom of the Passbook App Screen. Many of the Apps are for Airlines. Selecting a couple of the other Apps, for example Kroger, Walgreens, Home Depot, they are all businesses that are using in store location systems that detect wifi and blue tooth.
With more free wifi and bluetooth services being provided by airports, more people will have these capabilities turned on in their devices. The TSA link at the beginning of this entry says that privacy is covered because the device owner knows (knows by default of course) that they can turn off these capabilities and opt out.
It behooves an airport security system to provide free wifi services and whatever free services could be provided via bluetooth!
Ya really think that the objective is to measure wait time in a line? Wait a minute---I've got news for you!
TSA, Seattle, Safeway, etc....they are all Mini-Me's of NSA We don't know what they are doing. The big difference is that we can find out via Open Source Intelligence. That is what this blog entry does. I can find a lot and make good guesses about the rest I cannot find.
Excuse me, someone is knocking on the door......
Things relate to things, context reveals answers.
The key to getting all information all the time is secretly turning on wifi and bluetooth transmissions overriding any user settings. Cellular is usually on all the time...if it is not then turn that on secretly too.
Automated Wait Time (AWT) Technology
"TSA’s Automated Wait Time (AWT) system utilizes information broadcasted from Bluetooth®1-enabled devices carried by individuals in the general checkpoint queuing area to calculate wait times and deploy resources, as appropriate, to reduce delays in checkpoint queues. In the interest of transparency to the public, this Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is conducted pursuant to Section 222 of the Homeland Security Act to assess privacy risk from the AWT system. In order to ensure that AWT systems sustain and do not erode privacy protections, TSA developed and implemented processes that give effect to the Fair Information Practice Principles while generating statistical data used for improving checkpoint operations."
This only discusses Bluetooth but Wifi world just as well to reveal MAC Address and most people probably have Wifi turned on. I normally travel with Bluetooth off.
Just waiting in line? I bet they cover the entire airport. Especially after the recent incident. One airport I have been at had a bridge toll booth type of entry for traffic. Stand-off defense capability dictates detection at the farthest range to increase defense/offense ability.
Blip Systems is a provider of Automated Wait Time Systems
Amor Group, a division of Lockheed is also a provider of AWTS. The link gives fascinating info on what they provide and to whom. It is called the Amor Passenger Tracking System.
I have an App on my iPhone called Passbook. I tried it once for an airline ticket but when I got to the gate I actually used a paper ticket boarding pass. Forgot how it worked. Looking at the App it appears to be a scanning App for barcodes. I think it may go beyond that and you can see where it goes if you touch "Apps for Passbook" at the bottom of the Passbook App Screen. Many of the Apps are for Airlines. Selecting a couple of the other Apps, for example Kroger, Walgreens, Home Depot, they are all businesses that are using in store location systems that detect wifi and blue tooth.
With more free wifi and bluetooth services being provided by airports, more people will have these capabilities turned on in their devices. The TSA link at the beginning of this entry says that privacy is covered because the device owner knows (knows by default of course) that they can turn off these capabilities and opt out.
It behooves an airport security system to provide free wifi services and whatever free services could be provided via bluetooth!
Ya really think that the objective is to measure wait time in a line? Wait a minute---I've got news for you!
TSA, Seattle, Safeway, etc....they are all Mini-Me's of NSA We don't know what they are doing. The big difference is that we can find out via Open Source Intelligence. That is what this blog entry does. I can find a lot and make good guesses about the rest I cannot find.
Excuse me, someone is knocking on the door......
Things relate to things, context reveals answers.
The key to getting all information all the time is secretly turning on wifi and bluetooth transmissions overriding any user settings. Cellular is usually on all the time...if it is not then turn that on secretly too.
IT'S MY PASSENGER! WHO OWNS THE PASSENGER EXPERIENCE IN AMERICAN AIRPORTS?
Who owns the passenger? Armor has one system that satisfies all stakeholders related to the passenger object. Certainly including TSA.
Amor "Blufi" tracking here. Very informative. Revealing in fact. Maybe the best summary of capability I have found and it is dated 30 May 2012! Capability has probably grown substantially since then. It does not take an Eric Snowden to reveal this. Blip is a technology partner. Who else does Lockheed contract with? Are they an NSA contractor or Partner? Where did Lockheed Amor get its expertise in this area of business intelligence application?
“Amor Group’s “BluFi” product is an augmented Bluetooth and WiFi tracking solution which provides airport operations with real-time data on their queue times and passenger flows. Due to the combination of these two technologies we have termed this solution “BluFi”. This new solution tracks the unique IDs from both Bluetooth and WiFi devices to give a threefold increase in the number of passengers tracked.”
“Amor has identified WiFi data as a rich source of additional tracking information to further augment the intelligence we already gather via Bluetooth tracking.”
“In general, iOS and Android devices cannot be tracked via Bluetooth, meaning that BluFi will capture a large proportion of passengers not otherwise tracked by standalone Bluetooth. “
“From years of deployment experience, the BlipTrack Bluetooth solution tracks between 10-15% of all passengers, 24 hours a day. By consolidating Bluetooth and WiFi data we can now capture up to 50% of all passengers being processed through a terminal. This larger sample rate helps to increase the accuracy of the data captured.”
“Adding WiFi means we can measure a greater number of passengers across a variety of areas and situations including baggage halls and retail areas.
Wait...wait ...hold everything! This statement by Martin Bowman dated 14 Nov. 2013 says:
These agencies, as indicated by the TSA’s (albeit cancelled) Automated Wait Time project, have a duty to deliver a great experience for travellers.
Cancelled??? I can hardly believe it. Once they get their foot in the door with any surveillance method or device it is not easily cancelled! I suspect that it has been superseded by something newer, better, more intrusive and less detectable.
This from March 2013 says it was a test program that was scrapped.
Business can violate privacy easier than government..unless you are the NSA. I suspect that TSA will simply be getting information from the umbrella Chroma airport system that integrates all info and includes wifi and bluetooth tracking throughout the airport.
Amor Chroma is something that the airport uses to track passengers throughout the airport and provide passenger related information derived from their wifi, bluetooth, and other sensing media to all the various users of that information in the airport. The charge for the services just gets wrapped into the airport tenant charges. TSA being just another tenant that has access to "Bluwi" derived passenger info. So, who is to say how long the airport keeps info in their Chroma data base and how it is to be used?
This from March 2013 says it was a test program that was scrapped.
Business can violate privacy easier than government..unless you are the NSA. I suspect that TSA will simply be getting information from the umbrella Chroma airport system that integrates all info and includes wifi and bluetooth tracking throughout the airport.
Amor Chroma is something that the airport uses to track passengers throughout the airport and provide passenger related information derived from their wifi, bluetooth, and other sensing media to all the various users of that information in the airport. The charge for the services just gets wrapped into the airport tenant charges. TSA being just another tenant that has access to "Bluwi" derived passenger info. So, who is to say how long the airport keeps info in their Chroma data base and how it is to be used?
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