Information Security News mailing list archives
RE: Infosec means NOTHING to Joe SixPack
From: InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>
Date: Fri, 16 Aug 2002 01:16:55 -0500 (CDT)
Forwarded from: Jabberwocky <jabberwocky () mediasoft net> I'm not sure if this is the correct way to respond to this, but... It's not about computer security. It's about information security. Computers are not what we are protecting. It's the information. "Computer Security" is a term given by people who don't understand. The public has never, ever, valued information. Because they are uninformed. How can they value something that they've never held, or dealt with? Information is probably one of the most key things to modern life, and hell, its been important since the beginning of time. Even the Greeks used cryptography. Hiding information, hiding troop movements, hiding your intentions, has been a part of diplomacy and relations sine the invention of language. It is an abstract field of work. The things we deal with are not really that easily understood by someone who doesn't think like we do. "Computer security" is just a subset of information security. Will information security win or lose wars on its own? Never. Will it ever swing the tide one way or the other? Possibly. The whole cyber-terrorism thing is an overused cliché being thrown around by "computer security" experts looking for work. We don't have to worry (much) about mass DDoS attacks against root DNS servers, defacements, things like that. What we have to worry about is a repeat of Cuckoos Egg like incidents. Its not war, and its not hacking. Its espionage. Spies have never had great importance to the general public, and they most likely never will. When information security people realize that they'll never have their moment in the spotlight and just go back to making sure the enemy isn't reading "secure" transmissions from the CONUS to overseas military bases, people can forget about us and we can go back to work. Andrew Ruef -----Original Message----- From: owner-isn () attrition org [mailto:owner-isn () attrition org] On Behalf Of InfoSec News Sent: Wednesday, August 14, 2002 5:37 AM To: isn () attrition org Subject: [ISN] Infosec means NOTHING to Joe SixPack Forwarded from: Rob Rosenberger <junkmail () barnowl com> I uploaded the audio from my opening keynote last week at CERT conference 2002. Two MP3 files, 55:25 total time: http://Vmyths.com/mm/rants/2002/certconf.asx Part 1: "You mean NOTHING to Joe SixPack" Part 2: "Security experts need to lighten up" followed by a Q&A session I've wanted to do a keynote like this for a looooong time. I've wanted to put computer security experts in their place by telling them just how little they mean to Joe SixPack. You'll notice I start out with comedy & laughter ... but the giggles slowly dissolve as I venture toward Joe SixPack's preoccupation with physical terrorism after 9/11. [...] - ISN is currently hosted by Attrition.org To unsubscribe email majordomo () attrition org with 'unsubscribe isn' in the BODY of the mail.
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