Security is always a tradeoff: Schneier

Sam Varghese
Wednesday, 30 January 2008 05:06

Opinion and Analysis

"Lots of our security is outsourced to people who have agendas and tend to manipulate things; as a result we often tend to end up more insecure though we don't actually feel that way."

To illustrate the importance of feeling, Schneier cited a case in the US where a certain over-the-counter medication had been tampered with and caused a case of poisoning.

"Within a few days, people were terrified of buying any non-prescription drugs," he said. "The company reacted to the crisis and introduced tamper-proof caps for their product and this restored people's feeling of security."

With a twinkle in his eye, he added, "even though there are numerous ways to get around that kind of cap, beginning with a syringe."

Information was the only way around the security problem, Schneier concluded as he ended his talk and earned the closest thing to a standing ovation.

Before the keynote, Jonathan Oxer, the president of Linux Australia, declared the conference formally open and acknowledged the traditional owners of the land on which the conference is being held.