User identities are not the issue in SFO laptop theft.

There seems to be a lot of hand ringing going on over the complete incompetence displayed by a contractor that administers the “Clear” program at San Francisco International.  The concern is for the identity protection of the 33,000 or so applicants that provided thumbprints, drivers licenses, and passports in exchange for an accelerated clearing process though airport security. 

A laptop was reported stolen from a room at the airport on July 29th and just turned up again in the same room!  In other words, someone took it and returned it.  

I think Bruce Schneier, frequent writer and blogger on airport security, hit it on the head when he originally wrote about the “Clear” program for the New York Times:

And have we forgotten how prevalent identity theft is these days? If you think having a criminal impersonating you to your bank is bad, wait until they start impersonating you to the Transportation Security Administration.

That is exactly what the identities on that laptop could be used for. So, it is not worthwhile worrying about people’s identities, credit records, etc. in this case. The big concern is that the “Clear” program has been completely compromised.  Those 33,000 identities can be used to help miscreants slip past airport security.  It is the TSA and the airlines, and of course we passengers that have to be concerned about this theft.

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