Computer Glitch Temporarily Knocks Out U.S. Customs Processing System
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A U.S. computer security system used to cross reference passengers against the terror watch list reportedly went down for some time Wednesday night impacting travel across the country.
A Department of Homeland Security official told CBS4 News a router at JFK International Airport went off line which required a "manual process of vetting against the (secure flight) watch list."
The DHS official said that while travelers across the nation were affected, JFK suffered the most impact.
According to officials at Miami International Airport, some of the passengers were in a holding pattern for about an hour and a half due to this glitch, but the problem had been resolved.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection released a statement on the issue:
"U.S. Customs and Border Protection experienced a temporary outage with its processing systems at air ports of entry in the United States and took immediate action to address the technology disruption. In the meantime, CBP officers processed international travelers using alternative procedures until systems were back on line. The outage lasted about 90 minutes. At this time, there is no indication the service disruption was malicious in nature."