**GAO-11-461T**                      Published: Apr 06, 2011. Publicly Released: Apr 06, 2011.                  

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## Highlights

The attempted passenger aircraft bombing of Northwest flight 253 on December 25, 2009, provided a vivid reminder that the civil aviation system remains an attractive terrorist target. To enhance aviation security, in October 2003 the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began testing of its Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) program to identify persons who may pose a risk to aviation security. The SPOT program utilizes behavior observation and analysis techniques to identify potentially high-risk passengers. This testimony provides information on (1) the extent to which TSA has validated the scientific basis for SPOT and (2) other operational challenges. This statement is based on a prior report GAO issued in May 2010 on SPOT, including selected updates made in March 2011. For the updates, GAO reviewed documentation on TSA's progress in implementing the report's recommendations.

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## Topics

Homeland Security

Air transportationAirport securityAviation securityBehavioral sciences researchCost analysisCounterterrorismEmployee trainingLaw enforcementOperational testingPassenger screeningPerformance measuresProgram evaluationRisk assessmentRisk factorsRisk managementSecurity threatsStrategic planningSystems testingTraining utilizationProgram implementation