In the ongoing, year-long investigation, the Government Accountability Office reported today it had been able to pass through contract officer manned detection gear and into 10 high security federal buildings. The GAO investigators then took the separate components, constructed bombs and walked around various facilities undetected.
In testimony before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, GAO official indicated problems are centered on management of the office force as well as a breakdown in training, more so than technology used for access control.
Responsibility for security of federal buildings falls under the Federal Protective Service, which outsources guard labor. The Obama Administration has previously indicated it would reorganize FPS.
GAO used actual bomb components in the test and publicly available information "to identify a type of device that a terrorist could use" to damage a building. The components, bought on the Internet, cost $150.
More on this issue from USA Today, CNN and AP:
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