Comments on: TSA “Secure Flight” http://philosecurity.org/2009/05/18/tsa-secure-flight Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:48:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Krycheq http://philosecurity.org/2009/05/18/tsa-secure-flight/comment-page-1#comment-4712 Krycheq Wed, 20 May 2009 02:27:55 +0000 http://philosecurity.org/?p=1705#comment-4712 Why is it that information-security professionals are cognizant of these issues like no other group? I noticed at work, in our group and among my peers, these types of topics, even though they are clearly not related specifically to the job we do, are discussed frequently and most of us reach the same conclusions you have. Several years ago when the Real-ID Act was making its way through congress I wrote both of my senators asking them to specifically vote against this measure... it passed unanimously because it was tied to an Iraq-war funding bill. I wondered how, in good conscience, the people we have elected to represent our interests could have possibly been so careless with our freedoms. It was a faith-shaking moment and I find myself now questioning the motivations of the government and wondering if they are doing nothing other than filling a vacuum that we have created by remaining apathetic about broader issues and volatile regarding emotional "hot-button" issues such as abortion, gun control, and gay-marriage. So since information security professionals appear to be more plugged into these issues than the average person, what can we do to educate people in a more effective manner? Hopefully we can be more successful in this regard than I have seen or experienced us be in regards to security-awareness training efforts. Why is it that information-security professionals are cognizant of these issues like no other group? I noticed at work, in our group and among my peers, these types of topics, even though they are clearly not related specifically to the job we do, are discussed frequently and most of us reach the same conclusions you have.

Several years ago when the Real-ID Act was making its way through congress I wrote both of my senators asking them to specifically vote against this measure… it passed unanimously because it was tied to an Iraq-war funding bill. I wondered how, in good conscience, the people we have elected to represent our interests could have possibly been so careless with our freedoms. It was a faith-shaking moment and I find myself now questioning the motivations of the government and wondering if they are doing nothing other than filling a vacuum that we have created by remaining apathetic about broader issues and volatile regarding emotional “hot-button” issues such as abortion, gun control, and gay-marriage.

So since information security professionals appear to be more plugged into these issues than the average person, what can we do to educate people in a more effective manner? Hopefully we can be more successful in this regard than I have seen or experienced us be in regards to security-awareness training efforts.

]]> By: Christopher Parker http://philosecurity.org/2009/05/18/tsa-secure-flight/comment-page-1#comment-4709 Christopher Parker Mon, 18 May 2009 20:40:17 +0000 http://philosecurity.org/?p=1705#comment-4709 1. Are we willing to die for freedom? If yes, then that must not just mean delegating that risk to soldiers, but we must also accept the risk that a terrorist incident could happen because we have chosen freedom. We were founded on the proposition that all humans are created free and we shouldn't be giving it up just because we are afraid of terrorists. *Especially* not when we've got soldiers in harms way, supposedly fighting for freedom. Let's not sell them out! (I'm not, of course, advocating for terrorism or suggesting we take stupid risks, just that freedom is indeed worth taking a risk for and should not be given up lightly.) 2. We need to seriously think about the idea that we are partly responsible for terrorist incidents. Not that we are to blame, but that our actions overseas can set us up for problems - or make things better. This has been a forbidden area of discourse lately, but it shouldn't be and it doesn't mean one is unpatriotic. 1. Are we willing to die for freedom? If yes, then that must not just mean delegating that risk to soldiers, but we must also accept the risk that a terrorist incident could happen because we have chosen freedom. We were founded on the proposition that all humans are created free and we shouldn’t be giving it up just because we are afraid of terrorists. *Especially* not when we’ve got soldiers in harms way, supposedly fighting for freedom. Let’s not sell them out!

(I’m not, of course, advocating for terrorism or suggesting we take stupid risks, just that freedom is indeed worth taking a risk for and should not be given up lightly.)

2. We need to seriously think about the idea that we are partly responsible for terrorist incidents. Not that we are to blame, but that our actions overseas can set us up for problems – or make things better. This has been a forbidden area of discourse lately, but it shouldn’t be and it doesn’t mean one is unpatriotic.

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