Security Basics mailing list archives
Re: Re: Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity
From: danogh () gmail com
Date: 12 Apr 2007 00:45:50 -0000
I think there are two incompatible arguments going on here. Security, as a risk management exercise, can never measure and therefore can never acknowledge a security benefit through obscurity. Hidden silos dont suddenly let you know when they've become unhidden. The motorcade doesnt get alerted when the "bad guys" have sussed out the SUV with the president in it. Every single measure used to secure the silo and the president has to assume that the knowledge is not secret. The secrecy cannot be considered a benefit. Security as a people management exercise, however, does benefit from obscurity. Human beings can be confused, misdirected or manipulated by the information provided to them but the effectiveness of this is a function of their intent and their motivation. Through patient intelligence work silo locations become known. An assault on a motorcade can assume that the targets location is unknown and plan accordingly. Or the information can fall into the wrong hands through the simple process of clumsy human interactions. In all cases it is the target that is at a disadvantage because the target never knows that the jig is up. The time of security benefit provided by obscurity is really a time of increased uncertainty for the target. When will the hail-mary pass get fumbled?
Current thread:
- RE: Concepts: Security and Obscurity, (continued)
- RE: Concepts: Security and Obscurity jay.tomas (Apr 11)
- RE: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Craig Wright (Apr 11)
- Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Daniel Miessler (Apr 11)
- RE: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Craig Wright (Apr 11)
- RE: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Craig Wright (Apr 11)
- Re: Re: Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity lordl3ane (Apr 11)
- RE: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Craig Wright (Apr 11)
- Re: Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Lord Bane (Apr 11)
- RE: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Craig Wright (Apr 11)
- Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Daniel Miessler (Apr 11)
- Re: Re: Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity danogh (Apr 11)
- Re: Re: Re: Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity levinson_k (Apr 12)
- Re: RE: Concepts: Security and Obscurity levinson_k (Apr 12)
- Re: Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity lordl3ane (Apr 12)
- Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Daniel Miessler (Apr 17)
- RE: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Craig Wright (Apr 12)
- Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Daniel Miessler (Apr 12)
- RE: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Craig Wright (Apr 12)
- Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Ansgar -59cobalt- Wiechers (Apr 12)
- Message not available
- Message not available
- Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Daniel Miessler (Apr 17)
- Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Daniel Miessler (Apr 12)
- Re: Concepts: Security and Obscurity Jeffrey F. Bloss (Apr 13)