From Valleynewslive · · 1m 20s
TSA at 25: from screening line to intelligence agency
A quarter century after 9/11, the agency built in the attack's wake says the threats it faces now look nothing like the ones it was created to stop.
In brief
A quarter century after 9/11, the agency built in the attack's wake says the threats it faces now look nothing like the ones it was created to stop. TSA's job never changed, but the toolkit did: screening is now intelligence work, and the agency is betting its next 25 years on modernizing faster than the threats…
Twenty-five years on
TSA marked 25 years since the September 11 attacks on Friday, honoring the nearly 3,000 people killed and pledging to keep the country's transportation systems safe.
Born from the attacks
The agency did not exist before 9/11. President George W. Bush signed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act on Nov. 19, 2001, and TSA was created.
The mission never moved
Since 2001 the stated purpose has stayed identical: protect the nation's transportation systems so people and commerce can move freely.
Threats got smarter
Administrator David P. Cummins said today's threats are sophisticated and always shifting, and pointed to the new Horizon 25 Strategy as the agency's answer.
“The threats we face today are sophisticated and constantly evolving. TSA must modernize to defend against those threats.”
Screening became intelligence
What started as a federal screening workforce now runs on intelligence analysis, passenger vetting, canine teams, air marshals, and facial recognition imaging.
Beyond the airport
TSA's roughly 60,000 employees also cover railways, ports, pipelines and major events, while PreCheck speeds travelers through the line.
The bottom line
TSA's job never changed, but the toolkit did: screening is now intelligence work, and the agency is betting its next 25 years on modernizing faster than the threats.
