Key Takeaways from SIA’s 2026 Airport Security Symposium: Funding Gaps, Evolving Threats and the Push Toward Smarter, Integrated Security

As the 25‑year anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the Security Industry Association (SIA) Vertical Insights Airport Security Symposium offered a timely look at the pressures shaping the aviation ecosystem and the state of airport security today.

Speakers Christopher Bidwell, senior vice president, security at Airports Council International – North America (ACI‑NA); Patricia Cogswell, partner at Guidehouse; Dr. John Fortune, director, Trade and Travel Division and program manager, Screening at Speed Program, Science and Technology Directorate at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Valerie O’Rourke, global director, customer success at Acre Security; and Jack Wagner, end user business development manager, transportation at HID, surfaced a clear message that threats are diversifying, infrastructure is strained and technology is advancing faster than funding models can support.

VIDEO: AIRPORT SECURITY SYMPOSIUM

Here is a breakdown of important insights shared during the event:

Funding: The Foundational Challenge Undermining Airport Security

Bidwell did not mince words: funding is the single greatest challenge facing airport security today. The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA’s) chronic underfunding, driven in part by mandated diversions of the September 11 Security Fee—has created cascading operational and technological consequences.

“Congress… required an increasing portion of the September 11 Security Fee to be diverted… and that’s a lot of technology that could be purchased with that money,” said Bidwell.

The impact is felt everywhere:

• Checkpoint staffing shortages that delay openings and can create long passenger queues
• Slow technology refresh cycles, leave airports with aging  systems
• Infrastructure strain, as terminals built pre‑9/11 struggle to accommodate modern  checkpoint layouts and screening technologies

Bidwell noted that airports reported $174 billion in capital needs for the period between 2025 and 2029, including $5.2 billion specifically for security and environmental projects. With debt burdens rising, many airports simply cannot afford to “gift” TSA the screening technology it cannot currently fund.

The Evolving Threat Landscape: Cyber, UAS and Insider Risks

Cogswell, a former TSA deputy administrator, emphasized that while traditional threats persist, new threat vectors are accelerating faster than ever.

Cybersecurity: The Threat Keeping Airports Up at Night

“Cyber keeps me up at night,” Cogswell said. “We have democratized the threat vectors, the ways people can access threat tools.”

Nation-state actors are increasingly targeting critical infrastructure, including airports. Recent attacks on U.S. water systems underscore that organizations must now assume they are targets.

Bidwell noted that airports have done a lot to enhance cybersecurity, separate and apart from regulatory requirements, and have mature cybersecurity programs.

Cogswell urged airports to adopt integrated cyber‑physical security strategies, invest in real‑time monitoring and strengthen incident response across interconnected systems.

Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS): A Rapidly Growing Operational Disruptor

“There were more than 3,200 drone sightings reported near control towers and near airports by pilots, according to the FAA, in 2025,” said Cogswell. “That was already a 25% increase over the prior year, and I don’t see this stopping or slowing.”

Drone incursions can shut down airports for hours, and the operational fallout includes mispositioned aircraft, cascading delays and significant revenue loss.

Managing Vulnerability and Consequence

Cogswell reframed the conversation around what airports can control:

“We have to talk about how do we decrease vulnerability and decrease consequence should those occur,” Cogswell said.

Her recommended framework:

• Map interdependencies across cyber and physical systems.
• Understand how disruptions propagate.
• Practice coordinated response scenarios.
• Share threat intelligence across operators, vendors and government partners.

This mindset is especially critical as the U.S. enters the “decade of sport,” hosting major international events that will drive unprecedented traveler volumes.

“We have an especially important role to get this right,” Cogswell said. “Others are watching.”

Technology Modernization: Incremental, Integrated, and Data‑Driven

Presentations from event sponsors Acre Security and HID Global highlighted how airports can modernize without disruptive “rip‑and‑replace” overhauls.

O’Rourke emphasized modernization through integration and incremental upgrades, including:

• Identity‑centric security for employees, contractors and visitors
• Integrated physical security (access control, video, intrusion)
• Digital transformation through cloud, artificial intelligence and analytics
• Operational continuity as the non‑negotiable priority

Her case study of Dublin Airport showcased a 20‑year partnership built on incremental modernization, not wholesale replacement.

Wagner highlighted the industry’s reliance on outdated Wiegand protocol and made a compelling case for migrating to the SIA Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP), which offers:

• AES‑128 encrypted communication
• Bidirectional device supervision
• Remote firmware updates
• Faster response to device failures

For airports managing thousands of access points, visibility and secure communication are no longer optional.

Collaboration: The Key Ingredient

Across the panel, one theme was clear: airport security requires deeper collaboration across IT, physical security, vendors and government partners.

Bidwell emphasized the need for more research and development investment and closer alignment between TSA and airports. Cogswell advocated for more agile technology trials and better communication with travelers. Wagner and O’Rourke stressed the importance of IT security convergence.

Speakers emphasized that successful airport security is not simply about detecting threats—it must reduce vulnerabilities and consequences, support efficient operations and maintain passenger confidence. The DHS Screening at Speed program similarly reflects a broader effort to develop technologies that strengthen aviation security while improving the passenger experience.

Final Thoughts

The symposium made one thing clear: airport security is in a period of accelerated change. Threats are evolving, passenger volumes are rising and technology is advancing, but funding gaps and operational constraints threaten progress.

For security professionals, the key takeaways are:

• Cyber‑physical integration is essential.
• Technology modernization should be incremental and data driven.
• Airport security collaboration is the backbone of resilience, operational continuity and increasing the passenger experience
• Passenger experience and security effectiveness must evolve together.

SIA’s next Vertical Insights Symposium, on Sept. 10, will focus on how higher education institutions are advancing campus safety through integrated security technologies, innovation and collaboration security strategies. Registration and event archives are available on the SIA website.

Want even more on this topic? You can watch the full Airport Security Symposium here.

In creating this blog, content from the Vertical Insights Stadium Security Symposium was summarized using multiple large language models and reviewed by human editors.