Many homeland security experts preach against the approach to airport security taken by the TSA. The TSA’s mitigation efforts focus primarily on specific tactics that terrorists may use, rather than on more generalized, more effective, measures, such as intelligence. Airline security, according to the ones opposing the TSA’s acts, shall be in effect long before the terrorist reaches the airport. All existing mechanisms, such as scanning shoes, banning liquids, etc., are a waste of time and money and punish only the innocent.
I generally agree, but I do so with mixed emotions.
Continue reading "The TSA Does Not Get It Completely Wrong"
I was interviewed (by e-mail) for a project that preferred to remain undisclosed, on the future of secure content distribution. Enclosed are the (slightly modified) questions and answers.
Continue reading "An Interview on Secure Content Distribution"
A while ago the iPhone was hacked so to make it usable on networks other than AT&T’s.
Since that moment, many opinions were sounded on how Apple could have done their security better and how the hack could have been eliminated. Moreover, some of the industries security experts went on to their desks to work out a stronger mechanism that can save the gigantic firm from such embarrassments in the future.
An obvious question comes up: couldn’t Apple, with its $167 billion market cap, afford to pay some good security designers to protect its assets on the iPhone?
Continue reading "The iPhone Hack -- Security Done Wrong or Security Done Right?"
Last July, an interesting post appeared in Bruce Schneier’s blog. It’s called: Airport Security: Israel vs. the United States. It discusses the difference between airport security in Israel and in the U.S. The post quotes evidence showing that the airport security in Israel is based more on interrogation and less on mechanical scanning. Mr. Schneier commented:
Regularly I hear people talking about Israeli airport security, and asking why we can’t do the same in the U.S. The short answer is: scale. Israel has 11 million airline passengers a year; there are close to 700 million in the U.S. Israel has seven airports; the U.S. has over 400 “primary” airports — and who knows how many others. Things that can work there just don’t scale to the U.S.
I do not generally buy this.
Continue reading "Airport Security: Israel vs. the United States"
No one who follows on DRM news could have missed this: Report: RIP DRM, as Last Major Label Plans to Ditch Restrictions:
In a move certain to rock the distribution of digital music, Sony BMG is in the midst of finalizing plans to begin offering at least part of its downloadable music catalog DRM-free, according to BusinessWeek.com. This makes Sony BMG the last of the Big Four record labels to cave on digital rights management schemes designed to restrict the distribution of music via peer-to-peer networks.
I was asked more than once: What can prevail, if DRM cannot?
Continue reading "Last Major Label Plans to Ditch DRM Restrictions"