TSO Security Threat Awareness 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passenger nervously watches TSO officers while repeatedly checking their carry-on bag and avoiding eye contact. This behavior is best described as:
- Normal pre-flight anxiety
- A behavioral indicator requiring further observation (Correct answer)
- Grounds for immediate arrest
- Standard traveler impatience
Correct answer: A behavioral indicator requiring further observation
Repeated checking of baggage combined with surveillance-like watching of officers are behavioral indicators that warrant additional observation.
Question 2: Which of the following is NOT a category of prohibited items that TSOs screen for?
- Explosives
- Incendiaries
- Prohibited firearms
- Prescription medications in original containers (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Prescription medications in original containers
Prescription medications in original labeled containers are generally permitted through security checkpoints.
Question 3: The 'insider threat' in airport security refers to:
- Passengers who frequently travel internationally
- Employees or contractors who misuse their access to compromise security (Correct answer)
- Airline crew members who bypass screening
- Travelers with dual citizenship
Correct answer: Employees or contractors who misuse their access to compromise security
Insider threats involve trusted individuals such as employees or contractors who exploit their authorized access to undermine security measures.
Question 4: A bag arrives on the X-ray belt with no owner visible and the passenger ahead has already cleared the checkpoint. What should a TSO do?
- Send it through X-ray and set it aside for pickup
- Immediately call a supervisor and treat it as an unattended bag (Correct answer)
- Place it in lost and found
- Open it to find identification
Correct answer: Immediately call a supervisor and treat it as an unattended bag
Unattended bags must be treated as potential security threats and a supervisor must be notified immediately per TSA protocol.
Question 5: Which terrorist tactic involves blending into a crowd to avoid detection before carrying out an attack?
- Standoff attack
- Blended threat or sleeper concealment (Correct answer)
- Suicide vehicle-borne IED
- Cyberattack
Correct answer: Blended threat or sleeper concealment
Blended threats involve operatives who dress and behave like ordinary travelers or bystanders to evade detection.
Question 6: When screening, a TSO notices a passenger has a one-way ticket purchased with cash shortly before departure. This is significant because:
- One-way tickets are illegal
- Cash purchases are prohibited by TSA
- These are recognized pre-attack travel indicators in threat profiles (Correct answer)
- It automatically triggers a full pat-down
Correct answer: These are recognized pre-attack travel indicators in threat profiles
Last-minute one-way cash ticket purchases are documented indicators associated with potential threat actors in law enforcement and security profiles.
Question 7: Suicide vests are dangerous to detect because:
- They are always made of metal and hard to X-ray
- They can be concealed under clothing and contain non-metallic components (Correct answer)
- They emit radiation detectable only by specialized equipment
- They are always carried in carry-on luggage
Correct answer: They can be concealed under clothing and contain non-metallic components
Suicide vests are designed to be worn under clothing and may use non-metallic materials to evade standard metal detection.
TSO Security Threat Awareness 2
A passenger nervously watches TSO officers while repeatedly checking their carry-on bag and avoiding eye contact.
This behavior is best described as: