We love Bruce here at Liquidmatrix. He gave a keynote at Linux.conf.au.
From itnews.com.au:
Computer security expert Bruce Schneier took a swipe at a number of sacred cows of security including RFID tags, national ID cards and public CCTV security cameras in his keynote address to Linux.conf.au this morning.
These technologies were all examples of security products tailored to provide the perception of security rather than tackling actual security risks, he said.
“Camera companies are pushing it, but all the actual data points the other way,†Schneier said. “RFID is another one – the industry pushing it is very much distorting facts.â€
The discussion of public security — which has always been clouded by emotional decision making -– has been railroaded by groups with vested interests such as security vendors and political groups, he said.
Public discussion which should be a security debate can be coloured by politics, he said.
All too often Myrcurial and I are subjected, in our respective day jobs, to the vendor induced “machine that goes ping” barrage of phone calls. In the past I have railed against vendors that play the Coke v Pepsi routine rather than telling me why their product is good. Bruce hits it on the head. It’s not about the machine with blinky lights. It’s about knowing you’re secure.
“It’s not enough to make someone secure, that person needs to also realise they’ve been made secure. If no-one realises it, no-one’s going to buy it,” Schneier said.
The goal must be to get the reality and perception matching up – so that security solutions aren’t lulling users into a false sense of security, or letting them exist in an unnecessary climate of fear.
Now, we will be selling a new spray called “FUDAWAY” for $49.99 (CDN) per can. Just one spritz and you’re secure.
🙂
[tags]Bruce Schneier, Security, Information Security[/tags]
