The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has installed new credential authentication technology (CAT) units at Richmond International Airport’s security checkpoints.
This deployment is the latest generation of credential authentication technology (CAT) to verify the identity of travelers. Earlier this week, TSA announced that the technology had been installed at Norfolk International Airport.
First-generation CAT units are designed to scan a traveler’s photo identification and confirm the traveler’s identity as well as their flight details. The new CAT units, referred to as CAT-2, have the same capabilities but are also equipped with a camera that captures a real-time photo of the traveler.
In addition to identity confirmation, the system confirms the passenger’s flight status by verifying that the individual is ticketed to fly out of an airport on that same day.
CAT-2 units have what is referred to as a ‘library’ of IDs programmed into them that allow the technology to authenticate more than 2,500 types of IDs including passports, military common access cards, Department of Homeland Security Trusted Traveler ID cards, uniformed services ID cards, permanent resident cards, US visas and driver’s licenses and photo IDs issued by state motor vehicle departments.
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