CNN Employee Finds National Security Super Bowl Documents Left on Plane

The Department of Homeland Security needs to work on their operational security. 

A CNN employee reportedly discovered security documents from The Department of Homeland Security in an airline's seat-back pocket that detailed, among other things, a response to a simulated anthrax attack on Super Bowl Sunday. The documents were marked "For Official Use Only" and "important for national security." 

Included in the documents was a copy of the after-action report along with other sensitive DHS material including the travel itinerary and boarding pass of the government scientist in charge of the DHS BioWatch program. 

The reports included recommendations and a critique of the response by public health, local law enforcement and emergency management officials to a simulated biological attack. Several areas were were identified as needing improvement including the fact many local law enforcement and emergency management agencies didn't know what BioWatch did. 

"This exercise was a resounding success and was not conducted in response to any specific, credible threat of a bioterrorism attack," DHS spokesperson Tyler Houlton said in a statement to CNN.

CNN held off publishing the report until after the game was played on Sunday, citing Homeland Security officials who said doing so before Super Bowl Sunday could risk fans' security. 


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