Smartphones 'raise fake boarding pass threat'

Smartphones have created opportunities for terrorists to fake boarding passes by manipulating barcodes, security experts warn.

The rise of smartphones capable of reading barcodes - and free software to manipulate them - has made the tools needed to fake airline boarding passes more widely available. Experts fear that by altering passenger information stored on barcodes, terrorists could bypass security.

"It's alarming; this basically negates the no-fly list," Chris Soghoian, principal technologist at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), told the Washington Post. Terrorists could also tweak barcodes to allow them through PreCheck, where oversight of laptops is less rigorous. 

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is looking at ways to improve security, with experts suggesting mandatory encrypted digital signatures would help. Under the current TSA guidelines airlines can add digital signatures but it is optional.

Experts want more done and the TSA, while keeping quiet about its security procedures, has confirmed it is looking to improve the system. "We continue to explore and implement additional mitigation measures," John Pistole, the administrator of the TSA, said.