Over the holidays, hundreds of thousands of people, including this blogger, traveled by plane. One of those travelers was Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the 23-year-old man who attempted to ignite explosives he had smuggled aboard Northwest flight 253 on Christmas day. Abdulmutallab’s foiled attempt focused international attention upon airport security measures.

In my own opinion, security measures have become increasingly restrictive to the average traveler without appreciably improving safety. A determined individual with a fairly simple plan could bypass the measures without much trouble — Abdulmutallab’s experience proves this. In fact, according to CNN, Abdulmutallab’s name appeared on a list of potential terrorist suspects. If a man suspected of having terrorist connections can get on a flight while carrying explosives, you must face the facts: your security system is fundamentally flawed.

Airport security officials are reacting to the breach in security by implementing several new measures. International passengers traveling to the United States may be limited to a single carry-on bag (or possibly no carry-on items at all). Some will not be allowed to have anything out on their laps during part of the flight. The New York Times reports that some airlines are randomizing their security measures on each flight, making it difficult for terrorists to plan attacks.