TWIC IDs could leave secure areas open to a terrorist attack, GAO finds

The Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) secure identification card is not as secure as necessary to prevent a potential terrorist attack at U.S. ports, according to a Government Accountability Office report released this month.

In its report, GAO found that the Transportation Security Administration does not have adequate processes in place to ensure that the TWIC biometric ID cards don't fall into the wrong hands. TSA cannot guarantee that only qualified applicants receive TWIC IDs, people who have received TWIC ID cards remain eligible to have them, and reviewers apply standard criteria for evaluating applicants with criminal records, according to the report.

In addition, undercover GAO auditors exposed physical security weaknesses at several U.S. ports by entering secure areas with counterfeit TWIC cards and real cards obtained fraudulently, the report states.