Mesa FO's laptop goes missing at IAD
 

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0408/514346.html

Pilot's Missing Laptop Causes Airport Security Scare


posted 2308 Thu April 24, 2008 - Washington

A pilot's laptop, filled with top secret security information was reported missing at Dulles Airport and the ripple effects were felt across the country.

The Mesa Airlines employee couldn't find the personal laptop he brought with him while co-piloting a United Express flight from Birmingham, Alabama to Dulles International Airport.

17 airports were forced to make emergency changes to access codes at Dulles, Atlanta, Phoenix, Chicago's O'Hare and San Antonio.

Various officials within the airline industry admit that with these access codes, someone who went though security could, with the touch of a few buttons, get onto a plane or get outside, right below a plane.

A TSA spokesperson said, "On April 17, Mesa Airlines notified TSA that an employee reported a laptop, containing confidential information, had been misplaced, lost or stolen."

Federal and airline officials admitted that the classified codes on the computer provided the pilot, through a keypad, access from the gate to the plane and down to ground level right below the plane.

Passengers were appalled. "That's just a major security breach for everyone that flies within the United States."

One airline insider tells ABC 7 News the laptop was probably stored in an overhead compartment used by passengers and likely stolen.

Federal officials quickly contacted 17 U.S. airports used by the pilot, warning them of the security breach. Media representatives for a number of those airports affected, including Dulles, Phoenix and Akron-Canton said the codes were promptly changed. ABC 7 News learned one security official at a midwest airport rushed to work in the middle of the night to prevent a breach.

A Mesa Airlines spokesperson said, "Any breach of aviation security is of primary concern to Mesa Airlines and we are fully cooperating with the TSA."

Meanwhile, a TSA official said the agency, "may look at increasing the standards for anyone who stores this type of information on their computers."

Airline officials said they have very little to go on because they don't know if the pilot was targeted or if it was a crime of opportunity. A spokesperson for Dulles said airport police are investigating.

Well what does TSA expect us to do memorize ever code for every door at every airport we go to? Christ every time I get one down they change it. I too have many door codes stored on my cell phone. Maybe TSA would be better off finding a solution to this problem then hiding in the bushes to check if we are opening the hydraulic door panel on the belly.

Damn they are so Barney Fife!

I wonder how many cell phones have been lost with exactly the same type information. Personally I have over 30 airports stored in mine. Not to mention the 8 different passwords that are required by the IT department to access everything I need to.

When I tried to get into our UAL bagroom near C16 the code was changed thanks to this clown. Great work MESA, you guys continue to impress.

I suppose crime doesn't happen to any other airline employee? Give the guy some credit, at least he realized he had sensitive material on his laptop and reported it right away.

Personally I write door codes on my 10-9 Jepp airport diagram pages. Or for us a PNCL, our 3-10 LIDO page. I think you are less likely to lose your flight kit than your cell phone. The article, doesn't really understand that at most airports, you can't get onto the jetbridge unless you have a crew id or a SIDA badge for that airport. Very few airports have a jetbridge access code on the door that is located inside the terminal. I can think of one that has that kind of access.

Anyone ever just look at the field report on your release? the codes are right there! who needs to store them to do your job?

Just ask rampies...no reason to store them, they change them every once in a while anyways. I never write them down, and there's always someone down there unloading/loading bags you can just ask.

yeah, why store the jetbridge codes? It says it on the field report and 70% of the time i just ask someone anyway. Storing a whole list of sensitive security codes seems like asking for trouble.

Quit your bellyaching and just deal with it:cool:

This is silliness.

I have them on my 10-9's. Not all airlines print them on the release, and for those that do, that's not secure iether...what do you do with the release when you're done, burn it? Noooo...

It's extremley unlikely that a random thief would know what those codes are for anyway. And there are numerous other defenses besides door codes.

It would not be a good idea to publish a list of all the codes on APC of course...that would identify their purpose AND make them locatable by people with a specific intent.

i think a more likely excuse for not writing down door codes is that i'm just too lazy to do it. anyone else?

Not every airline does that. Quite frankly, I think that's a bigger threat than leaving them in my phone. Are you making sure the release is destroyed?

Most of these doors have tons of people around them and on the other side. Any semi-vigiliant employee would challenge them. Typical media hype over something that amounts to the Mesa guy having his laptop jacked.

Where the captains are exactley puting them I do not know, but in the trash is a lot more secure than on a lap-top that gets stolen. At least someones gonna have to dig through a SH** load of stuff before they find anything. then, if the release is still readable, that person would have to be able to read and understand the data on it. This is a long shot scenario as opposed to stealing someones lap-top and reading the microsft excell file labled "airport gate codes".

I think this is a strong argument to password protect access to a computer data. If done correctly thieves will have the hardware, but not the contents.

These codes are useless to anyone who intends any harm. These codes are for the outside door of the jet bridge. It will get you in from the ramp into the jet bridge. Most gate doors require an ID or a SIDA badge to get through.

not on RAH releases..... and at least half the places I fly require a code to get out the jetbridge door...... fwiw.... mine are password protected on my phone....

Maybe the Captain stole it when no one was looking...oh wait nevermind....iPods only...;)



I'm sorry i couldnt resist

Anybody think to check the F/A?! LoL

B777 sticker on flight bag - check
Hair Gel - check
Axe spray - check
Back pack - check
Laptop - ??????

In the original story - which is it? Top secret (on a PERSONAL laptop???) or confidential? Just more media disinformation and hype (scare tactic)?

USMCFLYR

ERAU Alumni Newsletter - Check

Handbook for sexing of juvenile alligators - check

Uh.....you've got me on that one.......:confused:

iPod turned on with one ear piece in - check
Bluetooth attached to ear - check


p.s. - thanks for the laugh

Reminds me of a piece I saw on George Carlin about idiots who use hands free call phones...Bluetooth specifically.

Unfortunately I cannot repeat the comedy routine on a board like this.....

It's regarding that story about 4 erau freshman stealing a young gator form a golf course...

It's so much easier to ask the rampys

Here in BNA our codes are not printed on the releases but they are for the doors at ORD and we are not allowed to give them to pilots but rather open the door for them. We actually had a guy come close to getting fired for giving the code to a pilot. I also don't think its a good idea to let everyone know that these codes are printed in your release. It wouldn't take a very bright criminal to get one of those. We useually have 2 or 3 printed out in the jetbridge for the next few flights out of that gate.

must be rah