The Security Myth

Security is a quaint notion that retired to a cupboard with Hope, Honesty, and a quite a few other honored but threatened or extinct behavioral memes.

An article today in Fierce CIO:  FBI cracks encrypted hard disk in mere weeks  reminds us of how ephemeral Security is.  I am not sorry the FBI applied their know-how to nailing a pedophile.  But that's not really the story, which is that information security belongs with every other hoary variation on the Security theme.   If sophisticated snoops want to know what you are doing or what you've done, they can and will.

The article suggests redirecting information security efforts from cryptographic to stenographic.  Sure.  With the incredible pattern analysis power in the hands of sophisticated IT practitioners beginning witht the USG and Google, this approach will last a few nanoseconds.  Don't waste your time.  Might as well  bring back smoke signals.

Insecurity, how can we count thee ways?

• Terrorism - huge spend on anti-terrorism with unknown benefits, but with sure detriments.  Air travel was thoroughly ruined for the innocent since 911, not to mention the budget-busting bloat of DHS and TSA that will accrue to the indebtedness of our children, their children....
• Global Peace- huge spend on military and proactive war adventrures with unknown benefits, but with sure detriments.
• Health Insurance - Doesn't make people healthier, just poorer.
• Retirement - Unless you have a fat defined benefit plan from a government entity  - Prison Guard, Fire, Police most especially (thank you, suckers taxpayers) or a very large nest egg, you have no retirement security.  
• Crime - As more and more of the public safety budgets go to pay those fat defined benefit pensions, the fewer live, working officers there will be.  Property crime is largely unpoliced in many places, including my beloved San Francisco.  You do not have security for your person or  property beyond what you and your neighbors and friends take initiative for.
• Product Quality, Food Safety - Forget it. The Chinese just bought the US' largest pork producer, Smithfield.  The Chinese national credo is "cut corners" - as we've already seen in their air, water and food public health fiascos and their ever-recalled pet treat products.  Time to start raising our own pigs.
• Freedom of the Press - unraveling before our very eyes.  A major check against government duplicity and covert crimes is crumbling.  

Good thing getting under the covers still banishes monsters and boogie men, and that there are still people who care about things like the Constitution and the Golden Rule.  We don't really need Security anyway, we just need a Chance.