IN RECENT YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN A SHIFT in the threat landscape. Attackers are zeroing in on new targets, including transportation hubs, and as a result, millions of people are vulnerable. At airports in particular, although traditional aviation threats must still be considered, the threat landscape has been expanded to nontraditional areas of the airport. Airports have reacted to this change by implementing new regulations and guidelines for employees and travelers alike. Today, because of their complexity, airports require several security procedures and screening processes to keep both travelers and employees safe. Due to a number of high-profile events involving insider threats in recent years, both the airports and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have recognized the need to identify new ways to defend against this new threat. Back in 2014, in Wichita, KS, an avionics technician was arrested at the Mid-Continent Airport after he demonstrated a willingness to transport explosives to a secure part of the airport. That same year a former baggage handler smuggled guns onto passenger planes at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. More physical security protocols have been installed to protect the vulnerable areas of the airport; however, challenges do exist.
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