Drew Sindlinger is Section Chief at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Transportation Security Administration. Within the Enrollment Services and Vetting Program office’s portfolio of Security Threat Assessment programs, he supports the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC®) and Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME) Threat Assessment programs, among other vetted surface populations.
Drew manages a dynamic team of professionals leading risk management, quality assurance, and technology initiatives associated with biometric and biographic vetting programs. He is focused innovation in the use of biometric identification and credentials as well as user-friendly authentication and validation techniques.
Prior to joining DHS, Drew was a Manager for Deloitte Consulting LLP’s Federal Strategy and Operations practice. Specialising in the intelligence and law enforcement community, he delivered strategic planning, performance management, and integrated program management tools to measure investigative activities and conducting resource planning.
Drew began his career with the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General leading high-profile audits on biometric and name check technologies, risk management strategies for national security threats, and the automation of forensic examinations.
Drew is pursuing a Master of Business Administration in Security Technology Transition from the George Washington University (GWU). He holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from GWU’s Elliott School of International Affairs in Washington, DC.
The United States issues a transportation security identification card, the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC®), to individuals who require access to secure areas of regulated maritime entities. Since its inception, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has issued more than 7.1 million TWIC cards to eligible applicants who complete TSA’s security threat assessment, and nearly 2.2 million individuals maintain an active TWIC on a daily basis. Interest in TWIC use is increasing across some entities in the U.S. National Transportation System as a cost effective means to verify identity and mitigate threats to national security, including critical privacy protections. TSA is working with public and private partners to enhance vetting processes, harmonise TWIC with similar threat assessment programs, and produce a more 'flexible' validation solution for critical infrastructure entities. This presentation will focus on the evolution of TWIC use in the transportation industry, challenges integrating TWIC into a diverse and open access control environment, identity verification enhancements, operational resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, and plans for a Next Generation TWIC and beyond.