Pia

Privacy Impact Assessment Update
for the

TSA Operations Center Incident Management
System
DHS/TSA/PIA-029(a)
August 25, 2015
Contact Point
John Bogers
System Owner
Transportation Security Operations Center
Transportation Security Administration
TSA-ocims@tsa.dhs.gov
Reviewing Official
Karen L. Neuman
Chief Privacy Officer
Department of Homeland Security
(202) 343-1717

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Abstract
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Transportation Security Operations
Center (TSOC) serves as TSA’s coordination center for transportation security incidents and
operations. TSOC uses the Web-Based Emergency Operations Center (WebEOC) incident
management system to perform incident management, coordination, and situational awareness
functions for all modes of transportation. The system maintains information including personally
identifiable information (PII) in connection with its operations. The system also collects and
compiles reports from federal, state, local, tribal, foreign, and international sources and private
sector security officials on incidents related to threats to transportation or national security. TSA is
updating this Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA), last published on July 12, 2010, to reflect that the
system receives information about individuals on watchlists and their co-travelers; logs Amber
Alerts 1 and disseminates them to the field; collects open-source information relating to
transportation security or operations matters; and collects PII related to other incidents reported to
TSA including significant public health-related risks to the traveling public and certain TSA
employee information.

Overview
TSA has broad authority to receive, assess, and distribute intelligence information related to
transportation security, assess threats to transportation security, and serve as the primary liaison for
transportation security to the intelligence and law enforcement communities. 2 The Transportation
Security Operations Center (TSOC) correlates and fuses real-time intelligence and operational
information across all modes of transportation, and coordinates within DHS and with other federal,
state, and local homeland security agencies for prevention of, and response to, transportation
security-related incidents. TSA uses the Web-Based Emergency Operations Center (WebEOC) to
store real-time information from federal, state, local, tribal, foreign, and international sources and
private sector security officials to assist in performing transportation security functions. WebEOC
stores information on individuals and witnesses involved in security incidents including: 1)
individuals who violate or are suspected of violating transportation security laws, regulations,
policies, or procedures; 2) individuals whose behavior or suspicious activity results in referrals to a
Behavior Detection Officer or Law Enforcement Officer; and 3) individuals whose identity must be
verified or checked against federal watch lists, including individuals who fail to show acceptable
identification documents to compare to boarding documents and law enforcement officials who
seek to fly armed.
1

The AMBER Alert™ Program is a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies, broadcasters,
transportation agencies, and the wireless industry, to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child-abduction
cases.
2
49 U.S.C. §114(f).

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Reason for the PIA Update
TSA is updating this PIA, last published July 12, 2010, to reflect that TSA’s Secure Flight
System sends information to WebEOC regarding individuals who are a match to the Terrorist
Screening Center’s Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB) and their co-travelers, individuals on the
Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Do Not Board list, and individuals who appear to be using lost
or stolen travel documents for air travel. WebEOC stores information on known or suspected
terrorists (KST) for TSA operational purposes including notifying field personnel of expected
travel, and logs Amber Alerts to track the status of alerts issued to the field. WebEOC stores PII
related to other matters reported to TSA, such as significant public health-related events posing
risks to the traveling public.
WebEOC stores open-source information 3 related to transportation security matters for
enhancing situational awareness and operational purposes. TSA monitors public open-source
information, including social media, to gain situational awareness on events impacting
transportation security or operations. It may use the information to assist in assessing threats and
planning or managing an operational response. For example, a social media posting regarding the
location a tornado touched down may assist with assessing impacts to transportation facilities or to
the TSA workforce. Searches are performed based on keywords and concepts in reporting guidance
that has been reviewed for privacy and civil liberties concerns. Search terms may be modified on
occasion to reflect emerging or temporary threats.
WebEOC also stores TSA employee and contractor PII associated with such matters as
medical evacuations, workplace violence, controlled property such as lost badges, continuity of
operations (COOP) activities and exercises, and national or local emergencies.
PII is stored in separate modules within WebEOC based upon the type of information. For
example, TSA employee PII may be stored in COOP, Critical Incident Management, or Federal
Security Director Local Log modules; open-source information is stored in the Transportation
Suspicious Incident Reports module. Access to each module is restricted at the user level to
individuals with a need to know the information in the performance of their duties.

Privacy Impact Analysis
Authorities and Other Requirements
No changes.
3

Open source information refers to a broad array of information and sources that are generally available, including
information obtained from the Internet and media (e.g., newspapers, social media sites, radio, television), professional
and academic records (e.g., papers, conferences, professional associations), and public data (e.g., government reports,
public records, demographics, hearings, speeches).

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Characterization of the Information
In addition to the information previously identified in prior PIAs, WebEOC collects and
stores Secure Flight Passenger Data (SFPD) 4 regarding individuals who are a match to the TSDB
and their co-travelers, individuals on the CDC’s Do Not Board list, individuals who appear to be
using lost or stolen travel documents for air travel 5, KST information, and PII related to matters
reported to TSA, including significant public health-related risks to the traveling public.
To enhance situational awareness, assess threats, and assist with planning or managing an
operational response, TSA may collect open-source information related to transportation security
matters. Open-source information may include publicly available information or postings on social
media sites regarding threats to transportation or national security, or simply matters potentially
impacting TSA operations. Social media may also be a source of initial notification for
transportation security or operations events. Open-source collection is accomplished through the use
of search terms that have been reviewed for privacy and civil liberties impacts. TSA respects
individual privacy settings when conducting open-source collection. Open-source information is
assessed or corroborated prior to operational response.
Finally, WebEOC stores PII of TSA personnel reported to TSOC, such as medical
evacuations, internal investigations, workplace violence, and lost badges. WebEOC will also store
work status and contact information reported to TSOC by employees and managers during
continuity of operations (COOP) activities, exercises, and national or local emergencies.
Privacy Risk: There is a risk of over-collection associated with the expansion of
information collected by the system, including over-collection of open source information.
Mitigation: The risk is mitigated by only collecting information related to the TSOC
mission as the coordination center for transportation security incidents and operations. Much of the
information is already collected by TSA elsewhere and does not represent an expansion so much as
centralizing existing information for coordination purposes. Open source information, including
information collected from social media, is limited to transportation mission-related information
that is available to the general public.

4

SFPD consists of name, gender, date of birth, passport information (if available), redress number (if available), Known
Traveler Number (if available), reservation control number, record sequence number, record type, passenger update
indicator, traveler reference number, and itinerary information. For more information on the Secure Flight program and
SFPD, see DHS/TSA/PIA-018 Secure Flight Program and its associated updates, available at www.dhs.gov/privacy.
5
TSA checks passenger reservation data including passport information against watch lists of lost and stolen travel
documents, including international passports. For additional information, please see DHS/TSA/PIA-018(g) Secure
Flight Program PIA (December 8, 2014), available at www.dhs.gov/privacy.

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Uses of the Information
The information collected within WebEOC continues to be used for incident management,
coordination, and situational awareness purposes. WebEOC will store TSA employee and
contractor information to manage certain internal operations, such as medical evacuation, workplace
violence, and lost badge reporting. TSA will also use the collected employee and contractor
information for COOP activities and exercises and national or local emergencies.
Privacy Risk: There is a privacy risk of inappropriate use of the additional employee and
contractor information to WebEOC storage.
Mitigation: The risk is mitigated by integrating administrative, technical, and physical
security controls that protect PII against unauthorized disclosure. System users and managers
receive privacy training. For log entries, incidents or reports are entered in real-time and the latest
entry updates the entry.

Notice
Airline passengers receive notice that their information is submitted to TSA through Secure
Flight; accordingly KST, co-traveler, CDC Do Not Board, public health threat, and individuals
using lost/stolen travel documents receive notice.
TSA does not provide notice to individuals on the Amber Alert list, or to individuals
identified in open-source information, except to the extent this PIA acts as notice.
Privacy Risk: There is a privacy risk that individuals who post PII on open source venues
will not receive notice that TSA may collect their information.
Mitigation: The risk is mitigated by the fact that the information is taken from open sources
that are available to the general public and typically posted by the individual. TSA respects privacy
settings and only collects information that is available to the general public. PII is stripped from
open-source reporting when it is not relevant to the event. For example, a social media posting that
there is a fight on a plane does not require the PII of the individual poster. Information learned from
open-sources is corroborated or evaluated for credibility prior to operational response.

Data Retention by the Project
TSA updated its retention schedule for WebEOC records from three years to ten years. TSA
extended the retention period for these records to facilitate the review of incidents for trends over an
extended time period. Maintaining information beyond three years also permits TSA to conduct
queries to identify repeat offenders related to transportation or national security incidents.

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Information Sharing
TSA shares information with CBP regarding individuals who are a match or a potential
match to the TSDB and their co-travelers, individuals on the CDC Do Not Board list, individuals
who appear to be using lost or stolen travel documents for air travel, and on significant public
health-related matters or risks to the traveling public.
There are no new privacy risks as a result of this update. Expanding the categories of
information shared with CBP does not create a new privacy risk because the types of information
are similar to those previously shared.

Redress
No changes.

Auditing and Accountability
No changes.

Responsible Official
John Bogers
System Owner
Transportation Security Operations Center
Transportation Security Administration

Approval Signature
Original signed PIA on file with the DHS Privacy Office.

________________________________
Karen L. Neuman
Chief Privacy Officer
Department of Homeland Security