The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Airports Council International (ACI) EUROPE are collaborating to implement open architecture principles for security screening systems.
Chief executives from TSA, ACI EUROPE and airport and industry stakeholders, including London Heathrow, Avinor and the European Organisation for Security (EOS), met in Brussels to agree in principle to open architecture for security screening technology throughout the US and Europe.
Open architecture is a technological framework that facilitates collaboration, shared resources and the realisation of common goals.
The open architecture principles for security screening systems will focus on open data formats, standard interfaces and a cyber-secure approach. Such collaboration will facilitate uniform standards and allow airports to efficiently combat emerging threats.
“Technology and innovation within transportation security is evolving at a rapid pace, and open architecture promises to improve how all transportation security agencies share data, integrate emerging technology at speed, remain cyber resilient and advance our mission. We remain committed to innovation and working collaboratively with our partners to increase the security baseline and improve the traveling experience.”
TSA and ACI recently collaborated with international partners and stakeholders to update the Open Architecture for Airport Security Systems document, which was initially published in July 2020.
To achieve the objectives in this document, ACI EUROPE partnered with the EOS to establish a structure where stakeholders can collaborate and develop the necessary technical recommendations and address the protection of intellectual property.
Collaborating with stakeholders, including security screening equipment manufacturers, has enabled significant progress in identifying technical options that allow manufacturers to comply with the open architecture principles.
“This is a collaboration that has reaped not only meaningful synergies today, but has the potential to unlock future applications, partnerships and solutions that we cannot even yet imagine. The combination of our partners’ security pedigree teamed with ACI EUROPE’s guiding hand and expertise in seamless airport innovation, secures not only technological transformation but consumer protection – the cornerstones of progress. The fact that security equipment manufacturers have now joined our dialogue speaks volumes for our vision and the standards we are setting.”
TSA and ACI EUROPE are now actively collaborating to implement open architecture principles, focusing on open data formats such as Digital Imaging and Communications in Security (DICOS), standardised interfaces, and a cyber-secure approach to property screening, on-person screening and identity verification.
