Students up close in Obama security test
Two Information Security Management students managed to get within five meters of President Obama and Prime Minister Rutte during the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS). The students wanted to see how much of the NSS they could access if they claimed they were actually journalists.
The Hague University of Applied Sciences students, Jesse Frericks and Niek Jan van den Hout, decided to test the weaknesses of the security measures hoping to contribute to better security at future events. They hastily created a news website with a few articles about the NSS and other issues, then applied for and received press passes despite not having a required letter of assignment from an editor. Their first application was initially denied, but they re-applied on scene at the event. After a "thorough background check" the two were admitted as reporters, even though they have no connection to journalism. The two managed to get within a distance of less than five meters of Obama and Rutte at a press conference where a select group of journalists were allowed, only separated by a single rope. "A student press pass only has limited value and is only issued to students of communication of journalism," said Thomas Bruning of the Dutch Journalist Association, who continued to say "the incident is a good reason to reevaluate the procedure." However, a spokesperson for the NSS does not see a problem with individuals making it through the security barriers, who were only meant to keep out a crowd. The Ministry of Justice and Security is confident in its security measures and stated the students would probably no longer be alive had they tried anything. The students are not convinced of the effectiveness of the security measures. Why else would roads be closed, 8,000 soldiers and 13,000 police force be mobilized if not to keep out unwanted people.
