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TSA and airlines use Soundex to match terrorist names
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2004 08:00 +0100
___ Dave Farber +1 412 726 9889 ...... Forwarded Message ....... From: Peter G Capek <capek () us ibm com> To: dave () farber net Date: Sat, 09 Oct 2004 12:19:29 -0400 Subj: Re: [IP] TSA and airlines use Soundex to match terrorist names Soundex, if that's what they're actually using without change, wasn't designed to deal with possible deception. It reduces a (last) name to a single letter (the first letter of the name) and a 3 digit number. So, changing a name from Klein to Clein would thwart it. Better techniques are available, but Soundex remains widely known (I don't know how widely used it is these days) despite its age. Peter G. Capek IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center Yorktown Heights, NY 10598-0218 (+1 914) 945-1250 IBM Tieline: 8-862-1250 Fax: X 4426 Please respond to dave () farber net Sent by: owner-ip () v2 listbox com To: ip () v2 listbox com cc: Subject: [IP] TSA and airlines use Soundex to match terrorist names ___ Dave Farber +1 412 726 9889 ...... Forwarded Message ....... From: Richard Wiggins <richard.wiggins () gmail com> To: David Farber <dave () farber net> Date: Sat, 09 Oct 2004 05:54:41 -0400 Subj: TSA and airlines use Soundex to match terrorist names The Washington Post reports that TSA uses a scheme based on the ancient (1918) Soundex algorithm to vet airline passenger names against its list of terrorists: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18735-2004Oct8_2.html The article also says that travelers who had false positives were able to pass screening by adding their middle names or middle initials when purchasing tickets. Clearly the matching is primitive. /rich ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as capek () us ibm com To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/ ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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