Schneier on Security 1st Edition

I'm not very political. In fact I'm jaded toward the whole process. Truth be told I think it's mostly a ridiculous, pathetic circus...but unfortunately its a ridiculous pathetic circus that increasingly affects every single one of us, especially when it comes to security and privacy. And this book highlights how the issues of security and technology very much affect us as individual American citizens. No matter what side of the political spectrum you come from, make no mistake, the issues of security, privacy, and technology have extreme implications that you should thoroughly consider. Further, this is one area where those of various political stripes (even opposing on many issues) can hopefully find some common ground.The limited space of a review isn't the proper platform to explain how and why the combination of bureaucracy and technology create a machine capable of incredible power and scope, and how that exponentially increases the danger of misuse. Some people (even intelligent very well intentioned people) simply do not see the intimate connection between security, privacy, and liberty; they honestly do not perceive any danger in a centralized authority capable of literally pinpointing and tracking you at any moment (along with everybody you know and everybody they know)...a centralized authority capable of accessing your entire life (bank accounts, utility services, medical records, credit access and history, detailed purchasing history and shopping habits, travel routines, phone conversations and records, email correspondence, internet activity, literally everything that allows you to function in modern society) at the mere touch of a few buttons. The idea that many people seem oblivious, or worse apathetic, to such an incredible danger borders on insanity. This is not paranoia; it is not delusional or extreme...it is pure common sense. Anything with that much power poses an enormous threat, period. Even now, the power balance disfavoring the individual has become so disproportionate it would seem almost laughable if it weren't so spine-chilling. History has much to say about human nature in the context of power, and it behooves the wise to use extreme caution and view with a high degree of cynicism those in control of such disproportionate power.As Acton said: "All power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely." One could slightly alter that truth by inference...power tends to corrupt proportionally. Thus, the more power, the more corruption. Human history would challenge anybody to prove otherwise.I pretty much devoured this book, which is a collection of short essays from various publications (websites, blogs, newspapers, etc.) on a whole range of security and technology issues. The book is very well written, easily accessible, and the format allows it to cover an impressive range of related issues that highlight the complexity of the subject. Schneier has a clear, reasonable, and concise style that complements the subject and allows you to very quickly "get your feet under you" in trying to wrap your mind around the issues involved. His expertise is obvious (and verifiable), which, combined with the logic he uses lends a credibility to the book that reasonable people will find very refreshing and reassuring. Schneier does a wonderful job of explaining how security and privacy are not mutually exclusive, and, perhaps even more relevantly, how our current approach does not protect us from outside threats (e.g. terrorism, identity theft, etc.), and instead only makes us feel better while stripping us of vital protections of a very different but equally important kind (privacy and liberty).///One of the primary reasons this book deserves the read concerns Schneier's putting forth some very fundamental principles and vital concepts that everybody -- and I do mean everybody -- should take special note of. For example:"Privacy is an inherent human right and basic human need, and a requirement for maintaining the human condition with dignity and respect." Privacy and anonymity are "intrinsic to the concept of liberty" and "protect us from threats by government, corporations, and individuals."In the context of modern society, "what happens to our data happens to ourselves...control of our data means control our life...our data is part of us...it's intimate and personal, and we have basic rights to it...it should be protected from unwanted touch." In other words, your access to basic goods and services and all the things necessary to exist and function in modern society depends on your "data double". Since in a free society you have a right to live and breathe and pursue your happiness as you see fit, and your data is essential to both those ideas, you by extension have a right to the control of that data."...surveillance information will be abused...privacy protects us from abuses by those in power, even if we're doing nothing wrong at the time of surveillance.""Think its okay to give up your privacy if you're doing nothing wrong? What happens when 'wrong' gets redefined?" "Redefined", that is, subject to limitless scrutiny, audit, and judgment at any time for any reason by any criteria those in control see fit, all subject to change on a whim. What happens when those who get to define right and wrong and have the power of the sword (and the pen of mass media and propaganda) to enforce their view decide they want to change the rules in the middle of the game? Indeed, what if they created the game and can utterly control it (both prospectively and retrospectively) when and as they see fit to their own benefit at the expense of others?In one sense, "Security is a trade-off. It makes no sense to ask whether a particular security system is effective or not...The proper question to ask is whether the trade-off is worth it." But in the larger sense, "there is no security without privacy" because privacy is prerequisite for security, and "liberty requires both." Therefore, "the debate isn't security versus privacy." That's a completely false dichotomy and pure political rhetoric. America's security doesn't come from the NSA or Walmart, it "comes from our freedoms and our liberty." Indeed, the debate isn't security or privacy, "it's liberty versus control".///For the record, I certainly don't agree with all Schneier's conclusions, but at the very least, this book will give you a ton of food or thought, and point you in the direction of becoming more informed and reasonable. It will give you tools to more critically evaluate the rhetoric we're constantly exposed to. It'll also probably scare you a little. And rightly so. Right this very moment, "we're building a computer infrastructure that makes it easy for government, corporation, criminal organizations, and even teenage hackers to record everything we do." Every day it grows more powerful, for good or ill. If we fail to approach this infrastructure wisely and cautiously, we will all suffer greatly.Highly recommended.

I got this book for free. I would not have paid money for it, since all of Bruce's essays and writings in this book or all over his website & blog. Bruce is very up-front about that. At the same time, though, I can't give Bruce a low rating because the content is very Bruce-- very good. If you want a "book formatted" version of Bruce's writings, here you go, but I would suggest picking up his _Beyond Fear_ book first, then subscribe to either his blog or mailing list (or both). If you want more Computer Security info, look to his _Secrets and Lies_ book first.

Schneier's security mantras are:Security is a trade off.Security is about people, not technology.Security is about failure, not success.Security is obtained by skilled intelligence gathering.Because Schneier presents a collection of previously published articles and blog posts he repeats himself a lot, but that's OK as it reinforces the mantras all the more strongly.When he writes of airport security, for instance. If our name is on a no-fly list, the clerk at the check in desk will not be permit us to board our flight. Why should he? If he does and we are terrorists, he's fired and maybe prosecuted. If he doesn't allow us aboard despite the fact we are upstanding citizens, he is praised for doing his job. Are we more secure? No. A genuine terrorist will probably avoid using a name on a no-fly list. And who manages this list? Can we check if our name is on it? No, we can't. If we do find out we are on the list, e.g. by being refused boarding for no adequate reason, can we get our name off it? No, there's no appeal process. The no-fly list is a bad system, it effectively sentences people without due process.Compare this with the 1999 attempt to sneak explosives into the US from Canada. The culprit wasn't arrested because his name or license plate number were on a watch list but because a trained border crossing agent, Diana Dean, recognized suspicious behaviour and decided to investigate further. What led to her decision cannot be quantified or turned into a procedure, her instincts were honed by years of experience.The applicable mantra in both cases is "Security is obtained by skilled intelligence gathering". Read the book for illustrations of the other mantras.Schneier looks at other areas, including the security surrounding election systems the protection of privacy, cyberwarfare and others.Overall an excellent account of what security is all about illustrated with detailed examples.Vincent Poirier, Tokyo

The content of this book is good: interesting perspectives on everyday security problems and why the existing solutions won't work.However there were two things that frustrated me about this book:Firstly, Schneier makes a few suggestions on how things should be done, but sometimes without elaborating his reasoning. Other times he'll explain why existing measures don't work but without offering anything better of his own.Secondly, while I appreciate that this is a collection of blog postings and past articles, some were already out of date when the book was published and many of them overlap with almost identical ideas and even copy, and this means there is quite a bit of repetition between chapters. I feel like these articles could've been merged and refactored into a more suitable list of edited chapters before being published as a book.That said, it's still a worthwhile read.

Das Buch ist eine grob sortiere Sammlung von Schneiers Blogeinträgen, Zeitungsartikeln und Kommentaren im Zeitraum 2004-2008. Die einzelnen Einträge sind allesamt sehr interessant und lesesnwert, es werden die unterschiedlichsten Aspekte besprochen: Kryptographie, physikalische Sicherheit der IT, Gesetzgebung nach 9/11 und vieles mehr.Ein kurzweiliges aber interessantes Buch für alle die in der IT-Welt zuhause sind. Wer hier allerdings eine Einführung in die Themen IT-Security und Kryptographie erwartet wird mit diesem Buch nicht glücklich werden.

Although Bruce Schneier is (perhaps) better known for his work in cryptography and computer security, his expertise is far more extensive and this collection of articles and essays demonstrate why he is considered one of the world's foremost security experts. All of the writings in this compilation exemplify his customary brevity, trademark clarity, and peerless familiarity with a wide-range of security matters and it is a must-read for anyone with an interest in society's relationship with its own security.Moreover, despite covering so much ground and such diverse topics as airport screening and voting machines, it is difficult to quibble with anything Schneier writes: replete with pragmatism and insight, every essay articulates succinctly (and usually in less than a thousand words) what many of us feel intuitively about the constant battle for the feeling (the illusion?) of security. Of course, the fact that all of the material deals with similar issues and that the essays have been arranged by topic means that the "overlap" (p.vii) is extensive and there is a feeling of repetitiveness throughout: nonetheless, some of this work is so important that it should be required reading! Worthy of special mention are; Who Owns Your Computer (p.161 - 163), Cyberwar (p.218 - 220), and Computer and Information Security (p.227 - 230). More than any others, these three influential essays capture the essence of the ongoing privacy debate.In summary, this is a superb introduction to security and how decisions designed to enhance our security often (usually!) curtail our liberty - as Schneier points out, "security is a trade-off" (p.vii), but any trade is better evaluated with a clear head and an informed opinion: that's what this book offers. You can find much (but not all) of this material online, but the collection provides a wonderful body of knowledge and a superb resource that deserves a wider audience than it will likely attract.

What a good read, the book is written in high level language making it an easy read, while the book does not dive into technical details on IT security the broad look at security in general is refreshing. The book manages to make you pose and evaluate your own views on security.The pragmatic analysis of conventional security is brilliant if only most security analysts applied the same logic we would all be more secure. The book is well written and an enjoyable read.

Das Beste am Buch ist noch das Cover-Bild. Innen findet sich ein lieblos zusammengeklebtes Sammelsurium von Auszuegen frueherer Buecher und Web-Publikationen. Uneditiert.

Very interesting and thought provoking book... and a good place to start for anyone wanting to be a "security expert". Get the philosophy right BEFORE discussing how to achieve national, physical, personal or cyber security.Well written and engaging style. Book is essentially drawn from a series of blog posts written by the author over his many years of security (book is organized by topic, rather than date written).Note the cyber security chapters are well well worth reading - though this is just a high level introduction to this very complex topic.