Bruce Schneier

founder & CTO, Counterpane

Beyond Fear

Bruce Schneier

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Host Doug Kaye says, "This is the one interview I hope everyone will hear."

In his lated book, Beyond Fear, security guru Bruce Schneier goes beyond cryptography and network security to challenge our post-9/11 national security practices. Here are some teasers:

• "We're seeing so much nonsense after 9/11, and so many people are saying things about security, about terrorism that just makes no sense."
• "Homeland security measures are an enormous waste of money."
• "If the goal of security is to protect against yesterday's attacks, we're really good at it."
• "The system didn't fail in the way the designers expected."
• "Attackers exploit the rarity of failures."
• "More people are killed every year by pigs than by sharks, which shows you how good we are at evaluating risk."
• "Did you ever wonder why tweezers were confiscated at security checkpoints, but matches and cigarette lighters--actual combustible materials--were not?...If the tweezers lobby had more power, I'm sure they would have been allowed on board as well."
• "When the U.S. Government says that security against terrorism is worth curtailing individual civil liberties, it's because the cost of that decision is not borne by those making it."
• "...people make bad security trade-offs when they're scared."

Read or listen to this terrific interview in which Bruce also says what he thinks of the 9/11 hearings and answers questions from listeners regarding spam and biometrics. This is one of our best.