With so much focus on the safety of air travel because of the Christmas Day bombing attempt aboard a Northwest flight headed into Detroit, and with the Transportation Security Administration saying that passengers in 14 nations will now go through "enhanced screening," All Things Considered co-host Michele Norris spoke today with someone who studies the government's efforts to protect air travelers and the public.

Stephen Lord is director of homeland security and justice issues at the Government Accountability Office. He and his team have produced several studies about the TSA's operations, including one last October that, among many recommendations, said TSA should "conduct a complete risk assessment, including threat, vulnerability and consequence assessments, which would apply to the (passenger screening program)."

Michele asked whether if the suspect from the Detroit-bound flight had been subject to a "pat-down" before boarding or had been put through one of the "full-body scanners" that are now being deployed at some airports, the explosive agents he allegedly hid in his underwear would have been discovered.

Lord's response — Maybe, but there's no way of saying for sure. The technology and "pat-downs" are only effective when they're used in conjunction with well-trained security personnel:

Lord also emphasized that it's important for TSA to thoroughly test any new technology before fully deploying it.

Much more from their conversation will be on today's edition of ATC. Click here to find an NPR station near you.