Security is knowledge that has been tested and matured by reality into wisdom.
-Klaus Thurnhofer
For the past three decades, I've been spending most of my time dealing with security. I create and design IT security products and help companies with products and security concepts in order to protect them.
"Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong." (Murphy's law). Almost everyday, I see over and over again how the advent of new technologies also brings about new security issues.
Nevertheless - even though I am quite the paranoid in terms of professional ethics - I participate in this social development, sharing my life and thoughts on various social media platforms.
Committed people (whether to nature conservation, animal protection, human rights, politics, religion) use these platforms to reach people so that they can eventually win them over for their cause. Whoever runs an election campaign today only reaches a fraction of his electorate without being present on the web. Whoever wants to point out animal abuse can spread their thoughts by using digital media.
Being part of it is an essential condition to understand the mechanisms behind in order to be able to provide methods and strategies to use it safely.
What need the bridge much broader than the flood?
– William Shakespeare
It's in my nature to create safe and reliable products. It may come as a surprise but it's not diligence that drives me, but rather the dread of extra work. That's why I look for solutions that make it easier. If a process can't be automated, it should at least run smoothly and be resilient to human error.
It makes no sense
Discipline means following the rules consistently. Safety requires discipline.
This makes no sense when the rules are designed in such a way that following them causes too much trouble. Disregarding the rules appears to be easier and more enjoyable than sticking to them.
For instance, companies require their employees to create a new, complex password every three months. At the same time, the employees are not given any strategies to create and memorize such passwords. As a result of this rule, the passwords are written on post-its and kept under the keyboard.
It makes sense
A seatbelt doesn't restrict the freedom of movement in the same way as a wheelchair.
From another perspective, the seatbelt turns from an inconvenience that restricts and even hurts a bit into a valued support.
That's why I answer the question about the width of the bridge with another question: who should cross the bridge today, what's the expected traffic volume and what should be done if the river floods?
Those who don't pay attention to their safety on a daily basis are well-advised to have a back-up until the next revision of their situation.
