TSA Needs to Improve Monitoring of the Deployed Advanced Imaging Technology System

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) does not monitor the Advanced Imaging Technology system (AIT) to ensure it continues to fulfill needed capabilities for detecting non-metallic threat items concealed on air passengers. Specifically, although AIT met the requirement for system availability, TSA did not monitor the AIT system’s probability of detection rate and throughput rate requirements set forth in TSA’s operational requirements document. These issues occurred because TSA has not established comprehensive guidance to monitor performance of the AIT system.

Without continuous monitoring and oversight, TSA cannot ensure AIT is meeting critical system performance requirements — a consistent weakness found in prior DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) reports. As a result, TSA may fund and acquire future systems without knowing whether the technology addresses new and emerging threats, potentially placing the traveling public at risk.