It’s the economy, stupid.
By Bruce Schneier
Mr. Schneier is a security technologist and the author of 14 books, including “Click Here to Kill Everybody: Security and Survival in a Hyper-Connected World.” He is a fellow at the Belfer Center at the Harvard Kennedy School and a fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University.
Feb. 23, 2021
Credit.Alex Merto
Early in 2020, cyberspace attackers apparently working for the Russian government compromised a piece of widely used network management software made by a company called SolarWinds. The hack gave the attackers access to the computer networks of some 18,000 of SolarWinds’s customers, including U.S. government agencies such as the Homeland Security Department and State Department, American nuclear research labs, government contractors, IT companies and nongovernmental agencies around the world.
Writers and broadcasters have plenty of flaws but they tend to have at least some expertise in putting together facts to create a story, and they know where to find real experts who do know the facts. With coronavirus you may look for guidance on social media, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Most of us trust scientists more than some random blogger telling a compelling but uncheckable story based on opinions rather than evidence.
I use social media – mostly Twitter – with a heavy sense of caution. Bots, charlatans and anonymous liars are all out there. And social media is not “free . The US computer security expert Bruce Schneier famously noted: “Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re Facebook’s customer, you’re not – you’re the product. Its customers are the advertisers.”
Todayâs columnist, Ryan Noon of Material Security, says we can expect more SolarWinds attacks until we change to an âinside-outâ strategy that assumes attackers are already inside the network and security teams set defenses accordingly. ecooper99CreativeCommonsCredit: CC BY 2.0
Airport security has been designed (in theory) to detect threats to air travel before a malicious person or item makes it to the plane. Much of cybersecurity works the same way.
As anyone whoâs ever been frisked by a TSA agent because of their shampoo bottle can say, the system can be frustrating and surreal. For security luminary Bruce Schneier, TSA checkpoints were the classic example of âsecurity theaterâ when he coined the term. Such âimpenetrableâ perimeters are a classic tool for defenders throughout human history. But when it comes to airports, many argue that we over-rely on these checkpoints to prevent the next 9-11. Despite these protective gateways, dangero
Why hot new social app Clubhouse spells nothing but trouble | Social media theguardian.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theguardian.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.