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Bruce Schneier Recommends Security Chill Pill
Doug Caverly
Staff Writer
2009-12-10
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Knowledge may be power, but it can also represent a path to anxiety and paranoia. Security expert Bruce Schneier highlighted this connection in a recent (and sure to be controversial) article calling upon people to more or less ignore the different security scares that occur on a regular basis.
 | | Bruce Schneier Recommends Security Chill Pill |  |
You might look at it this way: in a lot of large cities, murders occur on a regular basis, and the killers aren't arrested at the scene of the crime. But other people don't hide inside every time a crime is reported, barricading their doors and ordering bulletproof vests.
Similarly, Schneier explained that not all vulnerabilities are serious, that there often isn't much an end user can do, and that the odds of any given individual being affected are pretty small.
So instead, he recommended six ways of preparing for everything in a reasonable fashion. First is to use an antivirus program. Few people would try to live Mayberry-style with their doors unlocked and windows open all the time, after all.
Next, Schneier suggested, "Configure your OS and network router properly." Have every piece of software that offers the option update itself automatically, too, so that security on every front can be as tight as possible.
The next order of business is to just be safe online. Be careful about opening suspicious attachments, visiting iffy sites, and all that sort of stuff. You don't want to invite an axe murderer inside.
Finally, back up your data. If you can do this, you'll minimize the odds of any problem becoming truly catastrophic.
Schneier concluded, "[T]rust the vendors. They spent all last month scrambling to fix the SSL vulnerability, and they'll spend all this month scrambling to fix whatever new vulnerabilities are discovered. Let that be their problem."
About the Author:
Doug is a staff writer for SecurityProNews, InternetFinancialNews, SearchNewz, and WebProNews.
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