New security technology at CVG wants to take your picture. Here's what to know

Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read
The Transportation Security Administration has installed a new kind of identity verification technology at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport.
The Transportation Security Administration has installed a new kind of identity verification technology at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport.

Travelers flying out of Cincinnati may be asked to use a new identity verification device by airport security starting this week.

The Transportation Security Administration recently installed the new equipment ‑ called Cat-2, the second generation of Credential Authentication Technology ‑ at a security checkpoint lane at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport.

The old system, called Cat, required flyers to scan their passport, license or other ID while a TSA agent looked at their face to confirm their identity. The new system also verifies flyers' identities, but does so by taking a photo.

Cat-2 compares flyers' photo and their ID to confirm a match. The new system will provide a more effective way to verify travelers' identities, Tom Bechtol, an assistant federal security director with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said.

The new identity verification technology will be more effective than having TSA agents visually match travelers' IDs, officials say.
The new identity verification technology will be more effective than having TSA agents visually match travelers' IDs, officials say.

One Cat-2 system is currently being used at CVG and some flyers, mostly those with TSA Pre-Check, will have the option to use it. The airport is aiming to train all agents to use the new equipment by the week of June 12. After that, four other devices will be installed in security lanes.

Here are some quick facts to know about the new technology before you head to the airport.

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How does it work?

Insert your ID card into Cat-2 or use it to scan your passport. The device will then quickly take your photo. Cat-2 compares your ID photo with the one it just captured. A TSA agent will be present during the process to confirm your flight details.

Cat-2 can accurately verify travelers' identities, even if they look different from their ID photos, Bechtol said.

Does the device store my photo?

The device does not store passengers' photos. Pictures are deleted after flyers' identities have been verified.

Do I have to use it?

No, using Cat-2 is optional. Travelers can choose to hand their IDs to a TSA agent, and be checked by them, instead.

Do I still need to bring a physical ID to the airport?

Yes. If the device is unable to verify your identity, an agent will ask to see your ID.

Will I need to show my boarding pass?

Not at the security checkpoint. Boarding passes are still required at your flight's gate.

What is a digital ID?

Cat-2 also accepts digital IDs.

Flyers who have, for example, a mobile driver's license, can use them at the checkpoint instead of inserting a physical ID. Mobile driver's licenses have all of the information from a person's state-issued driver's license stored on their smartphone or other mobile device.

TSA only accepts mobile driver's licenses and ID cards issued by Arizona, Colorado, Georgia and Maryland, according to the agency's website.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: New photo-taking security tech installed at CVG: What to know