The findings prompted criticism that the TSA was prioritizing getting passengers quickly through screening procedures, over public safety.
After the report went public, the agency saw some personnel changes and authorities promised these kinds of failures would never happen again. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson kickstarted reforms in the agency by reassigning the acting TSA administrator.
The new TSA chief, who is a former Coast Guard officer, announced on Wednesday that his first goal in the new post would be to amend the gaps in security the report revealed.
"My highest priority is to ensure solutions to the recent covert testing failures," Neffenger told a House panel.
He added that in order to enhance efficiency, the agency plans to get front-line TSA workers retrained by September and to initiate other necessary reforms, including a plan to study perimeter security at airports to prevent security breaches outside of airport terminals. Around a year ago a 15-year-old boy survived a flight from the US mainland to Hawaii after he climbed into the wheel well of a plane at a California airport.
"If a 15-year-old or a 16-year-old can penetrate security, then we're vulnerable," Rep. William Keating said.
