We've Made Bad Security Tradeoffs

Business Week Online ^ | SEPTEMBER 2, 2003 | Alex Salkever

[zeugma]

Author Bruce Schneier discusses why the Patriot Act and other anti-terror measures mean "giving up a lot -- and not getting very much"

Bruce Schneier is a rare creature in the computer-security world. Although he made his name as an alpha geek in cryptography and later, as chief technology officer of Net-security outfit Counterpane, Schneier can also speak to laypeople about the general security matters that increasingly touch all of our lives.

[zeugma]

Q: You argue that people and not technology are what will make us more secure. What are some ways we could use people more effectively?

A: People have an innate sense of risk. It's a product of millions of years of evolution. The best things the U.S. has done to combat terrorism have involved people -- investigating terrorist activities, interdicting terrorist funding, prohibiting terrorist movement, and arresting terrorist leaders. These actions have done more to increase our security than any "improvements" in airline security. We need to invest in these sorts of people initiatives if we're going to make a difference.

Hmmmm... Common sense... must NOT work for the government.

Mr. Schneier is an excellent cryptographer (an algorithm he wrote, TwoFish, was among the 3 final cyphers in the competition to replace DES) who has spent a lot of time thinking about security. Given all the knee jerk reactions we see around here (which I'm guilty of as well), it's worth your time to read some of his thoughts.

[MichiganConservative]

Technology is not a panacaea. It just makes people content and lazy and stupid. The bad guys just sit back and study and plan at their leisure.

[Hugin]

The Patriot Act has given the government and police unprecedented powers. Many of these powers are Draconian and fly directly in the face of a free society.

No it didn't. It simply extended powers they already had for use against domestic criminals to terrorists. I note he does not cite a single example to back up his claim. Just the same old generalities.

[TomSul37]

If the Patriot Act doesn't broaden the governments powers significantly, then why was it touted as being such a necessary and powerful tool for the government in the war against terror?

[Barney1995]

I heard a report on this, just tonight, on the news. Al-Qaeda is still out there and, no matter what security measures we put in place, they will be looking for ways to circumvent them. That's the reason I agree with this article. Technology is great, but doesn't replace actual thinking human beings who are trained in understanding their thinking and are on the spot to deal with whatever comes up. I applaud the reinstatement of Air Marshals on domestic flights. Terrorists rely very little on technology, nor should we, completely.

[risk]

Good point, Tom. We need to be aware of what we're surrendering, and we need to keep the sunset clauses on both PA1 and PA2.

[Hugin]

Mostly it allows the government to use the same powers it could use against the mob against terrorists. Things like searching someplace without telling the occupants. They still have to go to court and get a judge to issue a warrant to do it.

[Prodigal Son]

I have been curious about this as well. I have heard people going on and on about the Patriot Act (and I have to admit, given the paranoic air to most of the complaints, it makes me uneasy as well) but I have yet to find even one person who can offer an example of how it has affected them personally.

Not living in the States, I have no way to judge this thing. Can anybody tell me any way the Patriot Act has affected their lives? This is not me supporting the thing one way or the other- just before I can understand the Patriot Act, I need more than just people's vaguely voiced fears. You get the idea from hearing liberals talk about the Patriot Act that John Ashcroft is going around dragging people out of their houses at night and taking the rubber hose to grandmothers. I would like to know about real situations. Anybody got any of those? I can think of one and I find it disturbing but I'd like to know more from people who actually live in the USA.

[mrsmith]

"Q: There's a dialogue going on right now about the Patriot Act. You have often stated that you think parts of this act are misguided or not terribly effective. Which parts and why? "

Crickets...

I wish he'd answered the question.