RE: Infosec means NOTHING to Joe SixPack

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

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.

[...]



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