RE: Castles and Security (fwd)

[twaszak () Telenisus com]

I don't think there is such a thing as a perfect analogy.  The only
analogies that are not flawed are the ones that describe simple concepts
that probably don't need an analogy.  By my way of thinking, an analogy
should serve as an aid to make a complicated concept easier to understand by
people who are not experts.  It's purpose is not to explain a concept to
people who already understand.  The analogy should balance simplicity with
accuracy and applicability.  Also the simplicity/applicability/accuracy of
analogy is all about how it is presented.  

I like the idea of terrorism or guerrilla warfare being a more accurate
analogy for describing the confusion and chaos that dealing with security
issues can be.  I'd love to talk all day long about LIC, MIC, HIC, terrorist
motivations, terrorist and counter-terrorist tactics, malaysian ambushes,
cross border ops, CQB tactics, AirLand2000, bounding overwatches, scroll to
the road, interlocking fields of fire, and how Micheal Collins is the father
of urban guerilla warfare.....etc.  As much as I would like to use terrorism
or guerrilla/unconventional warfare as an analogy, I can not.  Unless my
audience was comprised of most of the people responding to this topic or
Agency/Spec Op types, very few would understand.  Terrorism and guerilla
warefare are complicated issues in and of themselves.  Nations with large
military and intelligence agencies at their disposal have a hard time
understanding and dealing with these issues.  I certainly couldn't use a
single slide to explain how they are like info sec like I can with the
castle analogy.    

Since my audience is primarily non-Agency/Spec Op and non-security types,
I'll use simple castles to preach to the ignorant masses and make converts.
I'll use the more interesting and accurate terrorism/unconventional warfare
analogy when I'm preaching to the choir (talking to other security
people);-)  

Cheers,

Thomas    


_______________________________________________
firewall-wizards mailing list
firewall-wizards () nfr com
http://www.nfr.com/mailman/listinfo/firewall-wizards