FBI raids creator of fake boarding pass generator
{{date|November 5, 2006}}

Christopher Soghoian, 24, a doctoral student in information security at {{w|Indiana University}}, released a boarding pass generator for {{w|Northwest Airlines}} on October 25th.  In the release, he stated that it demonstrates flaws in airport security and the no-fly list.

A few days later, on October 27th, Soghoian was visited by the {{w|FBI}} who told him to take down the site.  Soghoian complied with the FBI request.  However, the FBI then raided his apartment that evening; apparently due to lack of a warrant during the first visit.

[[US House of Representatives|Representative]] {{w|Ed Markey}} ([[Democratic Party (US)|D]]-[[Massachusetts|Mass.]]) had called for Soghoian to be arrested in October.

Fake boarding passes are quite easy to create in {{w|Microsoft Word}}; assuming you have access to a old boarding pass for comparison.  Indeed, {{w|Amnesty International}} has created a similarly passable [http://www.amnestyusa.org/stoptorture/resources/boarding_pass.pdf fake boarding pass] for their [http://www.airtorture.com/ AirTorture] fundraising site. <!-- [http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/56050 via] -->

In February 2005, [[US Senate|Senator]] {{w|Charles Schumer}} noticed this loophole in no-fly list.  He urged the {{w|Transportation Security Administration|TSA}} to "check every passenger's ID against the passenger's face and his boarding pass and ticket", as has been done immediately after the {{w|September 11th attacks}}.  TSA declined to follow the senator's recommendation.

Mirrors of the fake boarding pass generator are available online.

{{haveyoursay}}
== Sources ==

*{{source|url=http://a.abcnews.com/Technology/story?id=2623867&page=1&technology=true
|title=Fake Boarding Passes Land Student in Heap of Trouble
|author=Jonathan Silverstein
|pub=ABC
|date=November 2, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.php?id=38874&adid=news
|title=FBI raids Ph.D. student's apartment, investigates Web site 
|author=Carrie Ritchie
|pub=Indiana Daily Student
|date=October 31, 2006}}

== Blogs ==

*{{blogsource|author=Michael Hampton
|title=FBI raids creator of fake boarding pass generator
|url=http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/10/28/fbi-raids-creator-of-fake-boarding-pass-generator/
|name=[[w:Homeland Stupidity (blog)|Homeland Stupidity (blog)]]
|date=October 28, 2006}}
*{{blogsource|author=Michael Hampton
|title=Fake boarding passes clear airport security
|url=http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/10/27/fake-boarding-passes-clear-airport-security/
|name=[[w:Homeland Stupidity (blog)|Homeland Stupidity (blog)]]
|date=October 28, 2006}}
*{{blogsource|author="
|title=FBI Raids Boarding Pass Maker's House, Seizes Computers
|url=http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2006/10/fbi_raids_board.html
|name=[[w:27B Stroke 6|27B Stroke 6]]
|date=October 28, 2006}}(search warrant mirror)
*{{blogsource|author=[[w:Bruce Schneier|Bruce Schneier]]
|title=Forge Your Own Boarding Pass
|url=http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/11/forge_your_own.html
|name=[[w:Schneier on Security (blog)|Schneier on Security (blog)]]
|date=November 2, 2006}}

==External links==

*{{blogsource|author=Christopher Soghoian
|title=Slight Paranoia
|url=http://slightparanoia.blogspot.com/
|name=(creators blog)
|date=}}

{{publish}}
{{Archived}}
[[Category:Indiana]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Crime and law]]
[[Category:Transport]]
[[Category:Aviation]]
[[Category:Northwest Airlines]]
Christopher Soghoian, 24, a doctoral student in information security at Northwest Airlines on October 25th.  In the release, he stated that it demonstrates flaws in airport security and the no-fly list.

A few days later, on October 27th, Soghoian was visited by the  who told him to take down the site.  Soghoian complied with the FBI request.  However, the FBI then raided his apartment that evening; apparently due to lack of a warrant during the first visit.

Representative  (D-Mass.) had called for Soghoian to be arrested in October.

Fake boarding passes are quite easy to create in Amnesty International has created a similarly passable  fake boarding pass for their  AirTorture fundraising site. 

In February 2005, Senator Transportation Security Administration|TSA to "check every passenger's ID against the passenger's face and his boarding pass and ticket", as has been done immediately after the .  TSA declined to follow the senator's recommendation.

Mirrors of the fake boarding pass generator are available online.
Indiana United States North America Crime and law Transport Aviation Northwest Airlines