"On January 8, 2015, the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA's) Acting Administrator asked the Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC) to identify new security measures for industry employees to address potential vulnerabilities related to the sterile areas of US airports. The catalyst for this request was the news that an employee gun-smuggling ring had been uncovered at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The ASAC convened a broad cross section of leading experts from airports, airlines, law enforcement, labor, and airport users to create the Working Group on Airport Access and Control (the WG) for the purposes of this tasking. The WG was given 90 days to study how vulnerabilities are addressed through existing TSA security programs, industry best practices, methods of employee screening within and outside the US, and visit a few US airports. The WG developed recommendations to address concerns prompted by the discovery of a gun smuggling ring operating, but they also go well beyond that concern. […] The ASAC's recommendations were developed within the context of Risk-Based Security (RBS), a holistic approach to aviation security endorsed throughout every level of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This approach acknowledges the globally interconnected aspects of the US air transport system, the varied infrastructures supporting it, the availability of robust employee pre-screening systems, and the need to apply finite aviation security resources efficiently and effectively. The recommendations also acknowledge the view that there are significant differences in the threats posed by criminal activity and terrorism and that the risks and proposed mitigation efforts must recognize this difference."