Testing
Secure Flight Program
The Secure Flight program will undergo rigorous testing prior to implementation. There will be appropriate systems, communications, and interface testing, as well as other aspects of technical testing. The goal of these tests is to ensure that once operational, Secure Flight will meet performance and effectiveness requirements.
Benchmark testing with a limited number of aircraft operators is being conducted to help with analysis of false positive and false negative rates. Benchmark testing began after the final exemption rule - specifying the Privacy Act exemptions - was published in the Federal Register. Benchmark testing is an important step in the development and implementation of Secure Flight. Conducting benchmark testing using a sampling of airline reservation data will allow validation of the program's watch list matching results with current matching results, for analysis of possible system performance refinements.
During benchmark testing, Secure Flight will apply privacy controls to all data used as a part of this testing, as detailed in its Privacy Impact Assessment. All personally identifiable information provided by the aircraft operators and used in support of testing activities will be erased or destroyed according to applicable United States National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Government Record Schedules. NARA is an independent agency of the United States federal government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records.
In addition, parallel operational testing with airlines will occur after the final rule is published. The parallel testing will include extensive analyses, and system performance comparisons will be made under full passenger volumes.
Testing phases such as these are intended to help ensure a successful implementation of the program, and are also required to comply with Congressional requirements that appropriate performance levels be met by the program.
